External validation of the RIETE and SOME scores for occult cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism: a multicentre cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) may be the first sign of an undiagnosed cancer. The RIETE and SOME scores aim to identify patients with acute VTE at high risk of occult cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the performance of both scores. METHODS: The scores were evaluated in a retrospective cohort from two centers. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) evaluated the discriminatory performance. RESULTS: The RIETE score was applied to 815 patients with provoked and unprovoked VTE, of whom 56 (6.9%) were diagnosed with cancer. Of the 203 patients classified as high-risk, 18 were diagnosed with cancer, representing 32.1% (18/56) of the total cancer diagnoses. In the group of 612 low-risk patients, 67.9% of the cancer cases were diagnosed (38/56). Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and AUC were 32%, 76%, 94%, 9%, and 0.430 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38‒0.47), respectively. The SOME score could be calculated in 418 patients with unprovoked VTE, of whom 33 (7.9%) were diagnosed with cancer. Of the 45 patients classified as high-risk, three were diagnosed with cancer, representing 9.1% (3/33) of the total cancer diagnoses. In the group of 373 low-risk patients, 90.9% of the cancer cases were diagnosed (30/33). Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and AUC were 33%, 88%, 94%, 20%, and 0.351 (95% CI, 0.27‒0.43), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of both scores was poor. Our results highlight the need to develop new models to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from an extensive cancer screening strategy.

The incidence and risk factors of proximal lower extremity deep vein thrombosis without pharmacologic prophylaxis in critically ill surgical Taiwanese patients: A prospective study.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically ill patients has been well-studied in Western countries. Many studies have developed risk assessments and established pharmacological protocols to prevent deep venous thrombosis (DVT). However, the DVT rate and need for pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis in critically ill Taiwanese patients are limited. This study aimed to prospectively determine the DVT incidence, risk factors, and outcomes in critically ill Taiwanese patients who do not receive pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. Methods: We conducted a prospective study in a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of a tertiary academic medical center in Taiwan. Adult patients admitted to SICU from March 2021 to June 2022 received proximal lower extremities DVT surveillance with venous duplex ultrasound. No patient received pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. The outcomes were the incidence and risk factors of DVT. Results: Among 501 enrolled SICU patients, 21 patients (4.2%) were diagnosed with proximal lower extremities DVT. In a multivariate regression analysis, hypoalbuminemia (odd ratio (OR) = 6.061, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.067-34.421), femoral central venous catheter (OR = 4.515, 95% CI: 1.547-13.174), ICU stays more than 10 days (OR = 4.017, 95% CI: 1.270-12.707), and swollen leg (OR = 3.427, 95% CI: 1.075-10.930) were independent risk factors for DVT. In addition, patients with proximal lower extremities DVT have more extended ventilator days (p = 0.045) and ICU stays (p = 0.044). Conclusion: Our findings indicate critically ill Taiwanese patients have a higher incidence of DVT than results from prior retrospective studies in the Asian population. Physicians who care for this population should consider the specific risk factors for DVT and prescribe pharmacologic prophylaxis in high-risk groups.

Prevalence and risk factors for proximal deep vein thrombosis at admission in patients with traumatic fractures: a multicenter retrospective study.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the associated risk factors for proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with lower extremity and pelvic-acetabular fractures. Methods: The medical records of 4,056 patients with lower extremity and pelvic-acetabular fractures were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into proximal or non-proximal DVT groups. Logistic regression models were used to determine the independent risk variables for proximal DVT. The predictive value of the related risk factors was further analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: The prevalence of proximal DVT was 3.16%. Sex, body mass index (BMI), fracture site, injury mechanism, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), injury-to-admission interval, hematocrit, platelet counts, and D-dimer levels differed significantly between the two groups. BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2, femoral shaft fractures, high-energy injury, diabetes, injury-to-admission interval >24 h were independent risk factors for proximal DVT. CHD decreased the risk of proximal DVT. The platelet and D-dimer had high negative predictive value for predicting proximal DVT formation, with cut-off values of 174 × 109/L and 2.18 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion: BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2, femoral shaft fractures, high-energy injury, diabetes, injury-to-admission interval >24 h were independent risk factors for proximal DVT in patients with lower extremity and pelvic-acetabular fractures. Platelet count and D-dimer level were effective indicators for excluding proximal DVT occurrence. CHD decreased the risk of proximal DVT.

Pharmacologic Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Patients with Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Requiring an External Ventricular Drain.

BACKGROUND: Optimal pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis dosing is not well described in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with an external ventricular drain (EVD). Our patients with SAH with an EVD who receive prophylactic enoxaparin are routinely monitored using timed anti-Xa levels. Our primary study goal was to determine the frequency of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and secondary intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) for this population of patients who received pharmacologic prophylaxis with enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin (UFH). METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients with SAH admitted to the neurocritical care unit at Emory University Hospital between 2012 and 2017. All patients with SAH who required an EVD were included. RESULTS: Of 1,351 patients screened, 868 required an EVD. Of these 868 patients, 627 received enoxaparin, 114 received UFH, and 127 did not receive pharmacologic prophylaxis. VTE occurred in 7.5% of patients in the enoxaparin group, 4.4% in the UFH group (p = 0.32), and 3.2% in the no VTE prophylaxis group (p = 0.08). Secondary ICH occurred in 3.83% of patients in the enoxaparin group, 3.51% in the UFH group (p = 1), and 3.94% in the no VTE prophylaxis group (p = 0.53). As steady-state anti-Xa levels increased from 0.1 units/mL to > 0.3 units/mL, there was a trend toward a lower incidence of VTE. However, no correlation was noted between rising anti-Xa levels and an increased incidence of secondary ICH. When compared, neither enoxaparin nor UFH use was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of VTE or an increased incidence of ICH. CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective study of patients with nontraumatic SAH with an EVD who received enoxaparin or UFH VTE prophylaxis or no VTE prophylaxis, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of VTE or secondary ICH. For patients receiving prophylactic enoxaparin, achieving higher steady-state target anti-Xa levels may be associated with a lower incidence of VTE without increasing the risk of secondary ICH.

Comparison of rivaroxaban and low molecular weight heparin in the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism: a Swedish national population-based register study.

BACKGROUND: Treating cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT) with anticoagulation prevents recurrent venous thromboembolism (rVTE), but increases bleeding risk. OBJECTIVES: To compare incidence of rVTE, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality for rivaroxaban versus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in patients with CAT. METHODS: We developed a cohort study using Swedish national registers 2013-2019. Patients with CAT (venous thromboembolism within 6 months of cancer diagnosis) were included. Those with other indications or with high bleeding risk cancers were excluded (according to guidelines). Follow-up was from index-CAT until outcome, death, emigration, or end of study. Incidence rates (IR) per 1000 person-years with 95% confidence interval (CI) and propensity score overlap-weighted hazard ratios (HRs) for rivaroxaban versus LMWH were estimated. RESULTS: We included 283 patients on rivaroxaban and 5181 on LMWH. The IR for rVTE was 68.7 (95% CI 40.0-109.9) for rivaroxaban, compared with 91.6 (95% CI 81.9-102.0) for LMWH, with adjusted HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.43-1.35). The IR for major bleeding was 23.5 (95% CI 8.6-51.1) for rivaroxaban versus 49.2 (95% CI 42.3-56.9) for LMWH, with adjusted HR 0.62 (95% CI 0.26-1.49). The IR for all-cause mortality was 146.8 (95% CI 103.9-201.5) for rivaroxaban and 565.6 (95% CI 541.8-590.2) for LMWH with adjusted HR 0.48 (95% CI 0.34-0.67). CONCLUSIONS: Rivaroxaban performed similarly to LMWH for patients with CAT for rVTE and major bleeding. An all-cause mortality benefit was observed for rivaroxaban which potentially may be attributed to residual confounding. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05150938 (Registered 9 December 2021).

Venous thromboembolism and severe COVID-19: a Mendelian randomization trial and transcriptomic analysis.

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is known to be intricately linked to severe COVID-19 (sCOVID-19) occurrence. Herein, we employed univariable Mendelian randomization (MR) and transcriptome analysis to predict the causal association and associated signaling networks between VTE and sCOVID-19. Methods: Potential VTE and sCOVID-19 association was assessed using MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, weighted mode, and inverse variance weighted (IVW) regression. We conducted independent univariable analyses involving VTE and sCOVID-19. Using heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and the Leave-One-Out examinations, we performed sensitivity analyses. Thereafter, we performed transcriptome analysis of the GSE164805 dataset to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Lastly, we conducted immune analyses. Results: Based on our univariable analysis, VTE was a strong indicator of sCOVID-19 development, and it was intricately linked to sCOVID-19. We further conducted sensitivity analysis to demonstrate the reliability of our results. Using differential analysis, we identified 15 major genes, namely, ACSS2, CEP250, CYP4V2, DDB2, EIF6, GBGT1, GSS, MADD, MAPK8IP1, MMP24, YBPC3, NT5DC3, PROCR, SURF6, and YIPF2, which were strongly connected to suppressive adaptive immune as well as augmented inflammatory cells. In addition, we uncovered strong associations with most differential immunologic gene sets, such as, the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), immunoactivators, and immunosuppressors. Conclusion: Herein, we demonstrated we strong association between VTE and enhanced sCOVID-19 risk. We also identified 15 DEGs which potentially contribute to the shared immunologic pathogenesis between VTE and sCOVID-19.

In-hospital thromboprophylaxis variation and the risk of venous thromboembolism after lung cancer surgery: a nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Venous thromboembolic event (VTE) is a severe complication in patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracic surgery. Nevertheless, because of insufficient evidence, there are no clear guidelines, and VTE prophylaxis practices vary widely. This nationwide cohort study was a comparative study investigating VTE risk in surgical departments that routinely administered in-hospital thromboprophylaxis with low-molecular-weight heparin compared to those that did not. METHODS: We identified all patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent surgery in Denmark during 2010-2021. Thoracic surgery was exclusively performed in the 4 university hospitals. Three hospitals implemented in-hospital thromboprophylaxis as standard care since 2000, while the fourth adopted this practice in September 2016. VTE events were assessed at 6-month follow-up according to hospital and study period, using an inverse probability of treatment weighting approach. RESULTS: We identified 9615 patients. During 6-month follow-up, a total of 190 VTE events were observed, resulting in a weighted rate of 4.5 events per 100 person-years and an absolute risk of 2.2%. There was no clear trend according to hospital site or use of in-hospital thromboprophylaxis with a 2.2% risk in the hospital not using thromboprophylaxis compared to 1.7-3.1% in those that did. CONCLUSIONS: Use of in-hospital thromboprophylaxis did not affect the risk of VTE after surgery for NSCLC, suggesting that relying solely on in-hospital thromboprophylaxis may be insufficient to mitigate VTE risk in these patients. Further research is warranted to investigate the potential benefits of extended thromboprophylaxis in reducing VTE risk in selected NSCLC surgical patients.

Pulmonary Embolism and Cardiovascular Care: Revolutionary Advances for the Decade Ahead.

Introductory overview for Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal Issue 20.3 on Pulmonary Embolism, written by the issues' guest editors.

Glass bead-activated clotting time (gb-ACT) for monitoring the anticoagulation effects in elderly patients with high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

BACKGROUND: To find a new bedside method to monitor the anticoagulation effects of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) in patients with a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 32 hospitalized patients (aged ≥60 years) who were at high risk of VTE were assigned to receive subcutaneous LMWH for 5 to 14 days. Plasma anti-factor Xa (anti-Xa) activity was conducted by a chromogenic method, and the glass bead-activated whole blood clotting time (gb-ACT) value was obtained by a Sonoclot Analyzer. RESULTS: A correlation between the gb-ACT values and the anti-Xa levels was suggested (R = 0.447, p = 0.002), and it was stronger in the older group aged 80 years above (R = 0.467, p = 0.008) and in the group of patients with an eGFR of 30 ~ 60 mL/min (R = 0.565, p = 0.005). The area under the curve (AUC) for gb-ACT by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve evaluation was 0.725 (p = 0.011), and the gb-ACT >282.5s provided a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 74% for anti-Xa >0.800 IU/ml. CONCLUSIONS: The gb-ACT values detected by a Sonoclot Analyzer could act as a novel bedside method in the monitoring of LMWH anticoagulation.

Construction and Validation of a Nomogram to Predict the Postoperative Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Patients with HGSOC.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) after surgery. This study aims to establish a comprehensive risk assessment model to better identify the potential risk of postoperative VTE in HGSOC. Clinical data from 587 HGSOC patients who underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors influencing the occurrence of postoperative VTE in HGSOC. A nomogram model was constructed in the training set and further validated in the verification set. Logistic regression identified age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.063, P = .002), tumor size (OR = 3.815, P < .001), postoperative transfusion (OR = 5.646, P = .001), and postoperative D-dimer (OR = 1.246, P = .003) as independent risk factors for postoperative VTE in HGSOC patients. A nomogram was constructed using these factors. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.840 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.782, 0.898) in the training set and 0.793 (95% CI: 0.704, 0.882) in the validation set. The calibration curve demonstrated a good consistency between model predictions and actual results. The decision curve analysis indicated the model benefits at a threshold probability of less than 70%. A nomogram predicting postoperative VTE in HGSOC was established and validated. This model will assist clinicians in the early identification of high-risk patients, enabling the implementation of appropriate preventive measures.

Nomogram for Risk of Secondary Venous Thromboembolism in Stroke Patients: A Study Based on the MIMIC-IV Database.

This study aims to identify risk factors for secondary venous thromboembolism (VTE) in stroke patients and establish a nomogram, an accurate predictor of probability of VTE occurrence during hospitalization in stroke patients. Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database of critical care medicine was utilized to retrieve information of stroke patients admitted to the hospital between 2008 and 2019. Patients were randomly allocated into train set and test set at 7:3. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for secondary VTE in stroke patients. A predictive nomogram model was constructed, and the predictive ability of the nomogram was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). This study included 266 stroke patients, with 26 patients suffering secondary VTE after stroke. A nomogram for predicting risk of secondary VTE in stroke patients was built according to pulmonary infection, partial thromboplastin time (PTT), log-formed D-dimer, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). Area under the curve (AUC) of the predictive model nomogram was 0.880 and 0.878 in the train and test sets, respectively. The calibration curve was near the diagonal, and DCA curve presented positive net benefit. This indicates the model's good predictive performance and clinical utility. The nomogram effectively predicts the risk probability of secondary VTE in stroke patients, aiding clinicians in early identification and personalized treatment of stroke patients at risk of developing secondary VTE.

Pulmonary vein thrombosis: Clinical presentation and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare thromboembolic disease with potential high-risk complications related to arterial embolization, but little is known regarding risk factors and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To describe the etiology, management, and clinical course of PVT. METHODS: Institutional health records were queried (1/1/2001-12/30/2023) to identify patients ≥18 years of age diagnosed with PVT. Thrombosis, bleeding, respiratory failure, and all-cause mortality were analyzed. Suspected tumor thrombus cases were excluded. RESULTS: 72 patients with PVT were identified (median age 62 years, 50 % female), and PVT was overall rare at 3.1 diagnosed cases per year at our institution. PVT primarily affected a single vein (89 %), most commonly the left upper PV (40 %). Of these, 37 % occurred while on therapeutic anticoagulation. The most common risk factors included cancer (55 %) and related surgical lobectomy (21 %). Extrinsic vein compression (17 %) and recent surgery (19 %) were also common; 19 % were deemed idiopathic. Most patients (76 %) were treated with anticoagulation and frequently indefinite duration (80 %). During a median follow-up of 11.7 months (IQR 39.5 months), serial imaging (available for 68 %) revealed PVT resolution in 64 %. Four-year Kaplan-Meier probability of outcome included: left atrial thrombus (21 %), need for mechanical ventilation (14 %), pneumonia (9 %), and ischemic stroke (9 %). The mortality rate was 46 % with median survival 14 months after PVT diagnosis. CONCLUSION: PVT is often associated with active malignancy, lobectomy, recent surgery, and extrinsic vein compression; 1 in 5 cases were idiopathic. Notable complications include left atrial thrombus with arterial embolism including stroke. With anticoagulation, most thrombi resolve over time. Mortality rates are high, reflecting the high the prevalence of cancer.

Perioperative Dexamethasone is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis Following Total Joint Arthroplasty: An Analysis of 70,000 High-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone (DEX) has demonstrated promise with respect to decreasing postoperative thromboembolic complications following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of perioperative intravenous DEX on rates of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after primary TJA in patients who have a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE). METHODS: Patients who have a history of VTE who underwent primary, elective TJA from 2015 to 2021 were identified using a commercial healthcare database. Patients were divided based on receipt of perioperative intravenous DEX [DEX(+) versus DEX(-)] on the day of index TJA. Patient demographics and hospital factors were collected. The 90-day risk of postoperative complications, readmission, and in-hospital mortality were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 70,147 patients who had a history of VTE underwent TJA, of which 40,607 (57.89%) received DEX and 29,540 (42.11%) did not. The DEX(+) patients were younger (67 ± 9.8 versus 68 ± 9.9 years, P < 0.001) and had a significantly shorter length of stay compared to the DEX(-) patients (1.8 ± 1.6 versus 2.2 ± 1.8 days, P < 0.001). The DEX(+) patients demonstrated lower rates of PE (1.37 versus 1.75%, P < 0.001) and DVT (2.37 versus 3.01%, P < 0.001) compared to DEX(-) patients. The DEX(+) patients experienced a lower risk of PE (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [95%-CI]: 0.66 to 0.93, P = 0.006) and DVT (aOR: 0.84, 95%-CI: 0.74 to 0.95, P = 0.006) compared to DEX(-) patients. The DEX(+) patients demonstrated no differences in the odds of surgical site infection, periprosthetic joint infection, or sepsis compared to the DEX(-) patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The administration of DEX was associated with a decreased risk of PE and DVT in patients who have a history of VTE who underwent TJA. These data warrant further study investigating the postoperative benefits of perioperative DEX administration for high-risk patients undergoing TJA.

Development of a chemiluminescence assay for tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor complex and its applicability to gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), is a noteworthy complication in individuals with gastric cancer, but the current diagnosis and treatment methods lack accuracy. In this study, we developed a t-PAIC chemiluminescence kit and employed chemiluminescence to detect the tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor complex (t-PAIC), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) and thrombomodulin (TM), combined with D-dimer and fibrin degradation products (FDP), to investigate their diagnostic potential for venous thrombosis in gastric cancer patients. The study assessed variations in six indicators among gastric cancer patients at different stages. RESULTS: The t-PAIC reagent showed LOD is 1.2 ng/mL and a linear factor R greater than 0.99. The reagents demonstrated accurate results, with all accuracy deviations being within 5%. The intra-batch and inter-batch CVs for the t-PAIC reagent were both within 8%. The correlation coefficient R between this method and Sysmex was 0.979. Gastric cancer patients exhibited elevated levels of TAT, PIC, TM, D-D, FDP compared to the healthy population, while no significant difference was observed in t-PAIC. In the staging of gastric cancer, patients in III-IV stages exhibit higher levels of the six markers compared to those in I-II stages. The ROC curve indicates an enhancement in sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis of four or six indicators. CONCLUSION: Our chemiluminescence assay performs comparably to Sysmex's method and at a reduced cost. The use of multiple markers, including t-PAIC, TM, TAT, PIC, D-D, and FDP, is superior to the use of single markers for diagnosing VTE in patients with malignant tumors. Gastric cancer patients should be screened for the six markers to facilitate proactive prophylaxis, determine the most appropriate treatment timing, ameliorate their prognosis, decrease the occurrence of venous thrombosis and mortality, and extend their survival.

A systematic review of thromboembolic complications and outcomes in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Thromboembolic (TE) complications [myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE)] are common causes of mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Therefore, this review was undertaken to explore the incidence of TE complications and mortality associated with TE complications in hospitalised COVID-19 patients from different studies. A literature search was performed using ScienceDirect and PubMed databases using the MeSH term search strategy of "COVID-19", "thromboembolic complication", "venous thromboembolism", "arterial thromboembolism", "deep vein thrombosis", "pulmonary embolism", "myocardial infarction", "stroke", and "mortality". There were 33 studies included in this review. Studies have revealed that COVID-19 patients tend to develop venous thromboembolism (PE:1.0-40.0% and DVT:0.4-84%) compared to arterial thromboembolism (stroke:0.5-15.2% and MI:0.8-8.7%). Lastly, the all-cause mortality of COVID-19 patients ranged from 4.8 to 63%, whereas the incidence of mortality associated with TE complications was between 5% and 48%. A wide range of incidences of TE complications and mortality associated with TE complications can be seen among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Therefore, every patient should be assessed for the risk of thromboembolic complications and provided with an appropriate thromboprophylaxis management plan tailored to their individual needs.

Gynecological Cancer and Venous Thromboembolism: A Narrative Review to Increase Awareness and Improve Risk Assessment and Prevention.

The prevention and appropriate management of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients is of paramount importance. However, the literature data report an underestimation of this major problem in patients with gynecological cancers, with an inconsistent venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prophylaxis in this patient setting. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the available evidence regarding the management of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients, focusing on the specific context of gynecological tumors, exploring the literature discussing risk factors, risk assessment, and pharmacological prophylaxis. We found that the current understanding and management of venous thromboembolism in gynecological malignancy is largely based on studies on solid cancers in general. Hence, further, larger, and well-designed research in this area is needed.

Anticoagulation Management Post Pulmonary Embolism.

Pulmonary embolus (PE) carries a significant impending morbidity and mortality, especially in intermediate and high-risk patients, and the choice of initial anticoagulation that allows for therapeutic adjustment or manipulation is important. The preferred choice of anticoagulation management includes direct oral anticoagulants. Vitamin K antagonists and low-molecular-weight heparin are preferred in special populations or selected patients such as breastfeeding mothers, those with end-stage renal disease, or obese patients, among others. This article reviews the primary and longer-term considerations for anticoagulation management in patients with PE and highlights special patient populations and risk factor considerations.

New Diagnostic Tools for Pulmonary Embolism Detection.

The presentation of pulmonary embolism (PE) varies from asymptomatic to life-threatening, and management involves multiple specialists. Timely diagnosis of PE is based on clinical presentation, D-dimer testing, and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA), and assessment by a Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) is critical to management. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology plays a key role in the PE workflow with automated detection and flagging of suspected PE in CTPA imaging. HIPAA-compliant communication features of mobile and web-based applications may facilitate PERT workflow with immediate access to imaging, team activation, and real-time information sharing and collaboration. In this review, we describe contemporary diagnostic tools, specifically AI, that are important in the triage and diagnosis of PE.