What’s Hot in Clots – November 2024

Key Updates in Thrombosis

Table of Contents

1. Standardized data elements for patients with PE
2. Aspirin hypersensitivity: What we should know
3. A musical summary of PE guidelines: Harmony, dissonance, and, of course, silence!
4. Literacy and clinical (cardiovascular) outcomes

The hottest word on the street is that NATF will be rolling out a new name soon – and a beautiful one! Well, until then, let’s go with the current month’s summary:

Standardized data elements for patients with PE

A new consensus document, with insights from multiple stakeholders, shares thoughtful suggestions about harmonizing the data elements for patients with PE throughout their journey. A key step in this process is also how to rigorously define these data elements, particularly outcomes, such that they are comprehensible and reproducible in future research studies. Efforts by collaboratives such as this one, ISTH SSC, and others will be so important. Read more

Aspirin hypersensitivity: What we should know

Here’s a real treat: Aspirin hypersensitivity and the basics of managing it. Did you know it can happen to 1-5% of people?? Read more.

A musical summary of PE guidelines: Harmony, dissonance, and, of course, silence!

Much of the credit goes to Marco Zuin and Greg Piazza for coordinating this effort with a stellar panel of authors. I was fortunate to join the group and learn from them. There is general agreement about several diagnostic concepts, or about use of anticoagulation. The areas that may need more attention is when procedures should be considered and if so, which procedure for which patient, what the optimal duration of anticoagulation is, and of particular importance to me, when and how we should guide our patients for return to normal activities. (The latter is a major area of evidence gap and hence, silence…) Read more.

Literacy and clinical (cardiovascular) outcomes

This provocative study from investigators from a large research group in Canada shows that limited language proficiency was a major reason for under-enrollment in clinical studies, including clinical trials for venous thromboembolism. I find this study highly relevant and also very concerning. In my humble opinion, there are signals beyond venous thrombosis and literacy—both general and health-related—that will dramatically impact how we as clinicians perceive knowledge, think about symptoms, communicate with the clinical teams, and make choices about health. I cannot overstate that education at large (and also health education) go a long way for clot-related health and beyond. When people are under-represented in clinical studies, results from those studies may not be, any longer, generalizable to them. Read more.

Finally, I should add that as a non-interventionist, I am finding a lot to learn and enjoy at TCT (this year in DC). I’m looking forward to a few studies in particular, including CLEAR SYNERGY (OASIS 9), the TARGET DAPT trial, and PEERLESS. Stay tuned for my coverage next month!

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