title: The management of patients with venous thromboembolism in Italy: insights from the PREFER in VTE registry.
abstract: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common cardiovascular disease. Real-life data on the clinical presentation, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of VTE in Italy and Europe are required to optimize the management of this disease. The PREFER in VTE registry, a prospective non-interventional real-life study, was designed to assess clinical characteristics and management of patients with VTE, use of health care resources, and on-treatment patient quality of life. Eligible consecutive patients with objectively diagnosed VTE were enrolled in the registry and followed up for 12 months. Between January and December 2013, 816 Italian and 1027 patients from 6 European countries other than Italy (European patients) were enrolled in the registry, and followed up until December 2014. Italian patients were the oldest (mean age 65.7 years) among the European patients. The Italian patients with a history of cancer were 24.6 % of whom 63.2 % had an active cancer (18.2 and 57.0 %, respectively, in Europe). Parenteral heparin was given, as initial treatment, in 73.8 % of Italian patients (66.4 % in Europe); VKA in combination with other treatments in 45.8 % (34.7 % in Europe); and VKA as the only anticoagulant treatment in 24.4 % (17.2 % in Europe). Of the Italian patients, 43.2 and 90.6 % of patients were hospitalized for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, respectively; 65.4 % were admitted to the hospital through the emergency department. Following a real world approach, PREFER in VTE shows that the Italian patients, among and compared to the European patients, are the oldest, have a history of cancer more commonly, receive an initial treatment with heparin more commonly, and are more commonly hospitalized, particularly if affected by PE.
authors.affiliation: Internal Cardiovascular and Emergency Medicine, Stroke Unit, University of Perugia, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guercini
authors.affiliation: Internal Cardiovascular and Emergency Medicine, Stroke Unit, University of Perugia, 06126, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mommi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Angiology at the Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Camporese
authors.affiliation: Center for Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Civil Hospital, Piacenza, 29121, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.affiliation: Center for Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Civil Hospital, Piacenza, 29121, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Imberti
authors.affiliation: Center for Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Civil Hospital, Piacenza, 29121, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.affiliation: Hospital "F. Veneziale" Isernia, 86170, Isernia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Bartolomeo
authors.affiliation: Medical Affairs, Daiichi-Sankyo Italy, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Lecce
authors.affiliation: Medical Affairs, Daiichi-Sankyo Italy, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.affiliation: Internal Cardiovascular and Emergency Medicine, Stroke Unit, University of Perugia, 06126, Perugia, Italy. giancarlo.agnelli@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agnelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012042:Registries; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006493:Heparin
keywords: Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; New oral anticoagulants; Venous thromboembolism; Vitamin K antagonist