In-Hospital Risks and Management of Deep Venous Thrombosis According to Location of the Thrombus

Am J Med. 2021 Jul;134(7):877-881. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.11.013. Epub 2020 Dec 11.

Abstract

Background: Whether deep venous thrombosis involving the pelvic veins or inferior vena cava is associated with higher in-hospital mortality or higher prevalence of in-hospital pulmonary embolism than proximal or distal lower extremity deep venous thrombosis is not known.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study based on administrative data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2016, 2017. Patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis at known locations were identified by International Classification of Diseases-10-Clinical Modification codes.

Results: In-hospital all-cause mortality with deep venous thrombosis involving the inferior vena cava in patients treated only with anticoagulants was 2.2% versus 0.8% with pelvic vein deep venous thrombosis (p<0.0001), 0.7% with proximal deep venous thrombosis (p<0.0001) and 0.2% with distal deep venous thrombosis (p<0.0001). Mortality with anticoagulants was similar with pelvic vein deep venous thrombosis compared with proximal lower extremity deep venous thrombosis, 0.8% versus 0.7% (p=0.39). Lower mortality was shown with pelvic vein deep venous thrombosis treated with thrombolytics than with anticoagulants, 0% versus 0.8% (p<0.0001). In-hospital pulmonary embolism occurred in 11% to 23%, irrespective of the site of deep venous thrombosis.

Conclusion: Patients with deep venous thrombosis involving the inferior vena cava had higher in-hospital mortality than patients with deep venous thrombosis at other locations. Pelvic vein deep venous thrombosis did not result in higher mortality or more in-hospital pulmonary embolism than proximal lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. The incidence of in-hospital pulmonary embolism was considerable with deep venous thrombosis at all sites.

Keywords: Deep venous thrombosis; Pulmonary embolism; Thrombolytic therapy; Venous thromboembolism.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Management
  • Female
  • Hospital Mortality / trends
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Thrombolytic Therapy / adverse effects
  • Thrombolytic Therapy / methods
  • Thrombolytic Therapy / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Venous Thrombosis / epidemiology
  • Venous Thrombosis / etiology*
  • Venous Thrombosis / therapy*