A descriptive case series of patients with end-stage liver disease hospitalized with variceal bleeding who received pharmacologic venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

✍ Scribed by Anneliese M. Schleyer; Mark W. Smith; Kenneth M. Jarman; Paul K. Crane; Astrid B. Schreuder; J. Richard Goss

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 144 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1553-5592
• DOI: 10.1002/jhm.777

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

It is unknown whether venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (VTEP) should be utilized in hospitalized patients with end‐stage liver disease (ESLD), particularly in those admitted with variceal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE:

We sought to describe a cohort of patients who received pharmacologic VTEP, specifically identifying the occurrence of rebleeding.

DESIGN:

Descriptive case series.

SETTING/PATIENTS:

All adult patients with ESLD admitted to an urban county teaching hospital over three years with variceal bleeding who received pharmacologic VTEP during hospitalization.

RESULTS:

A total of 22 patients with ESLD and variceal bleeding received pharmacologic VTEP. Only 1 patient rebled after initiation of VTEP; 2 patients were diagnosed with lower extremity deep venous thrombosis while on VTEP including the 1 patient who rebled.

CONCLUSIONS:

VTEP was associated with an unexpectedly low incidence of recurrent bleeding in patients with ESLD and variceal bleeding. Further study may be warranted. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010. © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.