Surgeon General's Workshop on Deep Vein Thrombosis

Translation of Evidence Based Data Into Clinical Practice

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Return to Menu

SLIDE 1: Translation of Evidence Based Data Into Clinical Practice

Joseph A. Caprini, M.D., M.S., FACS, RVT, FACPh
Louis W. Biegler Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering
Department of Surgery, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, IL
Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Return to Top

SLIDE 2: The Many Faces Of Venous Thromboembolism

• Prevent Fatal pulmonary emboli.
  • 1-5% incidence in patients with >4 risk factors.
  • 16.7% mortality at 3 months.
  • 25% of those with Pulmonary emboli present as sudden death.
• Prevent chronic pulmonary hypertension
  • 4% of patients suffering PE
• Prevent clinical venous thromboembolism.
  • Morbidity, drugs, tests, hose, changes in life style.
• Prevent silent venous thromboembolism.
  • Risk of subsequent event double that of control population.
• Prevent embolic stroke (20-30% PFO rate).
  • 50% disabled; 20% die; 30% recover.
• Prevent the post thrombotic syndrome.
  • 25% incidence following DVT and 7% severe.
  • May not be evident for 2-5 YEARS>

Return to Top

SLIDE 3: A Clinical Manifestation Of Venous Thromboembolism

Photo of a clot in a PFO as seen at surgery.

Picture taken from Colour Atlas of the CV System, Thomas et al.

Return to Top

SLIDE 4: Post Thrombotic Syndrome

Photo of Post Thrombotic Syndrome

Return to Top

SLIDE 5: ACCP Chest guidelines

Prophylaxis Regimen

*In patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min), please refer to the manufacturer’s product information for dose adjustment.

Return to Top

SLIDE 6: Physician Assessment

Patient Intake Form

1. Personal History of DVT or PE
2. Family History of DVT or PE
3. Malignancy: Current or Previous
4. Personal History of Recent MI or stroke (< 1 month)
5. Recent Major Surgery (< 1 month)
6. Currently on BCP, HRT, or hormonal therapy for Breast or Prostate Cancer
7. Current or recent acute inflammatory or infectious process (< 1 month)
8. Currently immobile (unable to ambulate in the in-patient setting)
9. History of unexplained stillborn infant, recurrent spontaneous abortion.premature birth with preeclampsia or growth-restricted infant.
10. Swollen legs
11. Varicose Veins
12. Obesity (BMI > 30)
13. Age

Graphic of the Thrombosis Risk Factor Assessment Intake Form

Return to Top

SLIDE 7: Translation of Evidence Based Data Into Clinical Practice

• Prospective validation of the entire risk assessment tool is one avenue to translate data from the literature into routine clinical practice.
• A number of individual correlations between risk or in the incidence of venous thromboembolism have been observed but until the instrument is prospectively validated some clinicians are unwilling to spend the time in effort to record and track these data elements.
• We have developed a protocol to validate this instrument which is widely used as part of the AVF venous screening program, hospitals participating in DVT awareness month, and several hundred university and community settings in the US and as far away as the middle east.

Return to Top

SLIDE 8: Topics/Issues Not Covered In National Guidelines

• Incidence of VTE in those with very high risk scores
  • Is there a level of risk where elective quality-of-life surgical procedures should not be done.
• Guidelines for outpatient prophylaxis in those not admitted to hospital
  • Data to show that shortening the length of standard prophylaxis is justified just because the patient is discharged before 5-7 days.*
• Detailed guidelines regarding the prevention and treatment of the post-thrombotic syndrome.
  • For most clinicians compression therapy equals antiembolism stockings.

*Randomized prospective thrombosis prophylaxis trials usually based on 5-7 days of prophylaxis

Return to Top

SLIDE 9: Topics/Issues Not Covered In National Guidelines

• Treatment of calf vein thrombosis
  • Observation and serial scanning has resulted in some deaths
  • Treatment has not been associated with mortality
• The anticancer effects of LMWH
  • What drug? what dose, ? how long?
• Doesn't the level of risk rather than the type of procedure dictate the use of prophylaxis
• Integrating the choice of drug, onset of prophylaxis, duration of prophylaxis, and intensity of prophylaxis according to available evidence.
• Separate editorial statements from the evidence based data.
  • "we place a relatively low value on the prevention of venographic thrombosis, and a relatively high value on minimizing bleeding complications".
    • Some of us feel that the identification of those patients likely to develop venous thrombosis may prevent not only some sudden deaths, but also some cases of disabling stroke and most importantly help prevent the post thrombotic syndrome.
    • bleeding rarely results in death and in the prospective randomized trials almost never leads to a serious disabling result due to joint removal for infection secondary to bleeding.

Return to Top

SLIDE 10: Physician And Patient Education

National Thrombosis Education Forum

Note: Text on this slide has a large white 'X' in front of it.

• Composed of scientists, physicians, nurses, and allied health personnel that are established educators in the thrombosis field
  • Multidisciplinary representation including both medical and surgical specialties
• Development of a core curriculum suitable for medical school programs
  • Slide sets, educational interactive website, monographs, and other educational tools for all inclusive instruction of physicians, and allied health personnel.
• Targeted presentations at CME type hosptial grand rounds, medical school classes, roundtables, case presentations, and symposia at major medical and surgical congresses.
• Suggest to industry that funds they spend on promotional programs be donated to the education forum to teach all parties including the public about venous thromboembolism
• Encourage industrial support for the national screening program so thousands can be screened and the public awareness of VTE can be improved.
• Partner with hospitals and other health care organizations to use clinical outcomes to help drive the educational process

Return to Top

SLIDE 11: What Works to Improve Care?

Role of Systems-based Improvement

• CME and didactic programs have little impact on changing behavior!
• Effective strategies include
  • • reminder systems
    • standing orders
    • clinical pathways or protocols
    • opinion leaders and physician champions
    • self-monitoring and feedback

Return to Top

SLIDE 12: Suggestions For Discussion

• Public awareness of DVT
  • National implementation of the American Venous Forum screening program in as many communities in the US as possible.
  • Increase physician awareness by having the patients present selected educational materials along with their report card to their local physician.
  • Encourage the patients to get a DVT expert on the AVF website in order to interpret their report card.
  • Partner with the coalition for DVT, National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia, and other interested organizations.
    • Representatives help with screening and distribute brochures explaining those organizations at the screening sites.
• Media blitz
  • Each month run a feature story on a thrombosis victim in a national news venue—parade magazine, people magazine, usa today, wall street journal, etc.
  • Inundate the press with human interest stories regarding VTE.

Return to Top

SLIDE 13: Suggestions For Discussion

• Physician awareness of DVT
  • Mandate guidelines developed by the NQF, Leapfrog, SCIP project, and the joint commission.
  • Performance measures linked to joint commission accreditation and PAY FOR PERFORMANCE
    • No prophylaxis—no pay!!!
  • Electronic medical record used to facilitate the process and include DVT alerts, and pathway type protocols
  • Track outcomes with 90 day follow-up data and self adjust pathway decisions regarding prophylaxis based on this data.

Return to Top

Return to Top

Return to Menu