Venous Thromboembolism Up in Adult Hospitalizations

Decision Support Tools Help Optimize Acute PE Detection
Decision Support Tools Help Optimize Acute PE Detection
Every year, more than half a million hospitalized US adults acquire venous thromboembolism (VTE), a growing public health concern that is often preventable.

(HealthDay News) – Every year, more than half a million hospitalized US adults acquire venous thromboembolism (VTE), a growing public health concern that is often preventable.

Hussain R. Yusuf, MD, of the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed 2007–2009 data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey to estimate the yearly number of hospitalizations with VTE in the United States.

The researchers estimated that an average of 547,596 hospitalizations with VTE occur each year in adults aged >18 years, with rates much more prevalent in adults over the age of 60. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) made up an estimated annual average of 348,558 and 277,549 hospitalizations, respectively; both DVT and PE were diagnosed in 78,511 hospitalizations (14% of overall VTE hospitalizations).

“These findings underscore the need to promote implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce the number of preventable cases of VTE among hospitalized patients,” the authors conclude.

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