title: Advances in the management of venous thromboembolism.
abstract: The past decade has witnessed important advances in the diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism with excellent opportunities to apply evidence-based medicine for many of the steps in the management of the disease. This review discusses the clinical prediction rules that should be used to reduce utilization of imaging diagnosis for deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and the risk stratification for thrombolytic therapy or outpatient management of pulmonary embolism. The treatment options have increased and include low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), intravenous or subcutaneous unfractionated heparin - the latter either monitored or not monitored, fondaparinux and rivaroxaban for the initial phase. Thereafter, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), LMWH, oral factor Xa or thrombin inhibitors are or will soon become available. The VKAs have been subjected to many randomised trial addressing the initiation, intensity, monitoring and self-management. Extended anticoagulation and the selection for that is finally reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, McMaster University and Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada. schulms@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulman
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019468:Disease Management; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011859:Radiography; D012306:Risk; D000069552:Rivaroxaban; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000991:Antithrombins; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D009025:Morpholines; D013876:Thiophenes; D014812:Vitamin K; D014859:Warfarin; D000069552:Rivaroxaban; D013917:Thrombin