Venous thromboembolic outcomes in patients with lymphedema and lipedema: An analysis from the National Inpatient Sample.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lymphedema and lipedema share physical exam findings that may lead to misdiagnosis. Poor mobility is common in patients with obesity and patients with lymphedema and lipedema. This may constitute a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Our objective was to evaluate the association of VTE in obese patients with lymphedema and lipedema. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was searched from 2016 to 2020 to identify hospital admissions of obese female patients with lymphedema and lipedema. Patients were analyzed in the context of presence or absence of VTE while adjusting for complex cluster sampling techniques. Predictors of VTE were accessed by multivariable regression. RESULTS: Lymphedema was identified in 189,985 patients and lipedema in 50,645 patients. VTE was observed in 3.12% (n = 374,210) of patients with obesity. In patients with obesity, VTE was more common in patients with lymphedema than without (2.6% vs 1.6%; p < 0.01). Similarly, VTE was more common in patients with lipedema than without (0.6% vs 0.4%; p < 0.01). After multivariable logistic regression, VTE events in obese patients with lymphedema were higher versus without (OR 1.6; CI 1.08-2.43; p = 0.02). Similarly, VTE events were more common in obese patients with lipedema versus obese patients without lipedema (OR 1.20; CI 1.03-1.41; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this hypothesis-generating study, lymphedema and lipedema show a positive association with VTE after adjusting for baseline patient characteristics such as obesity, which is a known independent risk factor for VTE. Mechanisms whereby lymphedema and lipedema are associated with VTE should be investigated.

The Relationship Among Pain Location, Complications, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Fibromuscular Dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), a nonatherosclerotic arterial disease, can cause pain and vascular complications. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of FMD symptoms and complications on quality of life, depression, anxiety, and self-rated health. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional, correlational study. METHODS: Participants were adults with a diagnosis of FMD. Quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey), anxiety and depression (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS®]), self-rated health question, and symptom/complication questionnaires were mailed to patients with FMD. Scores were compared with symptoms and complications. Multivariable linear models were fit for symptoms and survey scores. Ordinal regression was used for self-rated health. Backwards selection was run for each model. Alpha of 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals were used. RESULTS: Of the 162 (275 total; 47.8%) patients who returned surveys (156 female), 130 had carotid or vertebral artery involvement (80.2%). Migraine (p < .001), neck pain (p = .036), and flank pain (p = .025) were associated with decrease in Mental Component scores. Migraine (p = .002) and neck pain (p = .023) were associated with lower Physical Component scores. Patients reporting abdominal pain compared with those without had 4.88 points higher depression. Abdominal pain (p = .031) and pulsatile tinnitus (p = .011) were associated with greater anxiety. Migraine was associated with (p = .002) lower self-rated health. Participants with history of stroke/transient ischemic attack had 2.42 (1.08, 5.46; p = .033) times the odds of poor self-rated health compared with those without stroke/transient ischemic attack. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with FMD, presence of pain and history of vascular complications were related to lower quality of life and self-rated health.

SARS-CoV-2 and pulmonary embolism: who stole the platelets?

BACKGROUND: Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 often develop venous and arterial thrombosis. The high patient mortality is partly attributed to thrombotic events. An emerging trend is the presence of immunological phenomena including antiphospholipid antibodies which may promote thrombosis. The mechanism for these observations is not clear though many patients with SARS-CoV-2 develop thrombocytopenia. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a patient with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonitis who presented with intermediate risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Careful attention to his daily platelet count suggested the possibility of immune mediated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) which was confirmed by laboratory testing and resolved when anticoagulation was switched to a direct thrombin inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Since excessive platelet activation and in situ thrombosis occur in HIT, this case underscores the need to consider that thrombocytopenia in patients with SARS-CoV-2-most of whom receive heparinoids-may be unrecognized HIT. A central role for the platelet in the etiology of thrombosis during the COVID-19 pandemic should be explored.

Changes in Carotid Duplex Ultrasound Velocities After Aortic Valve Replacement for Severe Aortic Stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) obtained by carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) imaging of the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) are parameters used to determine the severity of ICA stenosis. Severe aortic stenosis (AS) results in a parvus-et-tardus pattern on spectral Doppler waveforms; however, the impact of severe AS on CDU velocities is unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of severe AS on CDU velocities by evaluating changes in CDU velocities before and after aortic valve replacement (AVR) METHODS: A single-center retrospective review of patients with severe AS who underwent surgical AVR and who had preoperative and postoperative CDU examinations performed within 12 months of each other was conducted. Patients with any carotid intervention between the preoperative and postoperative CDU were excluded. RESULTS: We identified 92 patients who satisfied all inclusion criteria. The mean age was 72.2 years; 71.7% were men; the mean preoperative aortic valve area ± SD was 0.8 ± 0.2 cm2 ; and the mean time from preoperative to postoperative AVR CDU was 182.3 ± 98.4 days. The peak aortic valve gradient decreased from 62.5 to 22.0 mm Hg after AVR (P < .001); however, there were no significant changes in the PSV or EDV in either the right or left ICA. CONCLUSIONS: Although severe AS may cause characteristic changes in the spectral Doppler waveform on CDU imaging, there is no significant effect on the ICA PSV or EDV. Adjustments in velocity criteria to determine the degree of carotid artery stenosis in patients with substantial AS may not be necessary.

A pulmonary embolism response team (PERT) approach: initial experience from the Cleveland Clinic.

Management of intermediate and high risk acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is challenging. The role of multidisciplinary teams for the care of these patients is emerging. Herein, we report our experience with a pulmonary embolism response team (PERT). We conducted a retrospective chart review on all patients admitted to the Cleveland Clinic main campus who required activation of the (PERT) from October 1, 2014 to September 1, 2016. We extracted data pertaining to clinical presentation, bleeding complications, and pre- and post-discharge imaging. Patients were classified as low, intermediate or high risk PE. Descriptive and continuous variables were collected and analyzed. There were 134 PERT activations. PE was confirmed by CT-PA in 118 patients. Fifteen (13%) patients were classified as low risk, 80 (68%) intermediate risk PE and 23 (19%) high risk PE. Fourteen (12%) patients were treated with catheter directed rtPA, 6 (5%) received full dose (100 mg rtPA), 16 (13%) received systemic half-dose (50 mg rtPA), 6 (5%) underwent a surgical embolectomy and 4 (3%) underwent mechanical thrombectomy. 65 (55%) patients received anticoagulation only, and 8 (7%) patients were managed conservatively without any anticoagulation or advanced therapy. 11 (9%) patients died while during the hospitalization. Fourteen patients had major bleeding events. There were no bleeding events among patients who received systemic low dose or full dose rtPA. A multidisciplinary approach to cases of intermediate risk and high risk PE can be implemented successfully. We saw a relatively low rate of bleeding events with use of rtPA.

Pulmonary embolism response teams.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common thrombotic event that is variable in its presentation. Depending on the patients' risk for mortality, guidelines provide several treatment strategies including thrombolysis, catheter-directed therapies, pulmonary embolectomy, anticoagulation, and inferior vena cava filters. However, there is considerable disagreement between guidelines regarding the optimal treatment strategy for patients, particularly for those with intermediate-risk PE. In order to provide rapid and individualized care, PE response teams (PERT) have been developed. These teams consist of members from different specialties with a particular interest in PE, varying technical skills, and clinical experience, thereby allowing for a multidisciplinary approach. PERT allows for consensus decision making, and for rapid intervention in patients whose conditions worsen. In this review, we provide an overview of treatment guidelines for PE, and of results from recent clinical trials involving patients with submassive PE. In addition, we discuss an outline of our approach and use of PERT.