Interní Med. 2007; 9(6): 280-282

Is the patient in danger of recurrence of thromboembolic disease?

MUDr. Dalibor Musil Ph.D

Cévní ambulance a Ústav patologické fyziologie LF UP a FN Olomouc

The article discusses the optimal length of secondary thromboprophylaxis after thromboembolic disease (TEN) and the probability of TEN recurrence. An individual approach to patients after a TEN is underlined. It attempts to give physicians a guideline how to estimate in an individual patient a risk of recurrence of the disease. It shows that the answer to the question what is the optimal length of anticoagulation treatment lies in stratification to low and high risk patients according risk of TEN recurrence. The following parameters are currently used for this stratification-sex, D-dimer level during and after the anticoagulation treatment, presence of absence of active malignancy and thrombophilic state with high risk of recurrence, evidence of old postthrombotic changes on duplex ultrasound examination, TEN in past medical history.

Keywords: thromboembolic disease, phlebothrombosis, pulmonary embolism, secondary thromboprohylaxis, recurrence, thrombophilic state, vitamin K antagonists, anticoagulation therapy

Published: November 9, 2007  Show citation