title: Venous thromboembolism in Croatia - Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic Diseases (CROHEM) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the incidence and characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Croatia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Croatian Cooperative Group for Hematologic Diseases conducted an observational non-interventional study in 2011. Medical records of patients with newly diagnosed VTE hospitalized in general hospitals in 4 Croatian counties (Šibenik-Knin, Koprivnica-Križevci, Brod-Posavina, and Varaždin County) were reviewed. According to 2011 Census, the population of these counties comprises 13.1% of the Croatian population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 663 patients with VTE; 408 (61.54%) had deep vein thrombosis, 219 (33.03%) had pulmonary embolism, and 36 (5.43%) had both conditions. Median age was 71 years, 290 (43.7%) were men and 373 (56.3%) women. Secondary VTE was found in 57.3% of participants, idiopathic VTE in 42.7%, and recurrent VTE in 11.9%. There were no differences between patients with secondary VTE and patients with idiopathic VTE in disease recurrence and sex. The most frequent causes of secondary VTE were cancer (40.8%), and trauma, surgery, and immobilization (38.2%), while 42.9% patients with secondary VTE had ≥2 causes. There were 8.9% patients ≤45 years; 3.3% with idiopathic or recurrent VTE. Seventy patients (10.6%) died, more of whom had secondary (81.4%) than idiopathic (18.6%) VTE (P<0.001), and in 50.0% VTE was the main cause of death. Estimated incidence of VTE in Croatia was 1.185 per 1000 people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Characteristics of VTE in Croatia are similar to those reported in large international studies. Improved thromboprophylaxis during the presence of risk factors for secondary VTE might substantially lower the VTE burden.
authors.affiliation: Dražen Pulanić, Kišpatićeva 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, dpulanic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Dražen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pulanić
authors.forename: Velka
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gverić-Krečak
authors.forename: Zlatka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nemet-Lojan
authors.forename: Hrvoje
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holik
authors.forename: Božena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coha
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Babok-Flegarić
authors.forename: Mili
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komljenović
authors.forename: Dijana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knežević
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovečki
authors.forename: Silva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zupančić Šalek
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Labar
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nemet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology