MONDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Blood thinners should not be the only therapy considered for patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), according to a scientific statement published online March 21 in Circulation.
Michael R. Jaff, D.O., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues -- on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative and Resuscitation; Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; and Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology -- reviewed and summarized relevant literature to provide practical advice for physicians on the management of patients with manifestations of DVT, for which data can be sparse and optimal management options not particularly clear.
The AHA statement offers guidance for the identification and treatment of individuals with massive and submassive pulmonary embolism, iliofemoral DVT, and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and also provides guidance for treatment of pediatric patients. The statement covers multiple treatment options, such as the use of fibrinolytic drugs, catheter-based interventions, and surgical interventions, and encourages physicians to consider these therapies in addition to blood thinners.
"Although this document makes recommendations for management, optimal medical decisions must incorporate other factors, including patient wishes, quality of life, and life expectancy based on age and comorbidities. The appropriateness of these recommendations for a specific patient may vary depending on these factors and will be best judged by the bedside clinician," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed financial and advisory relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
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