Long-Term Management of Venous Thromboembolism: Strategies for Reducing the Risk of Recurrence

, Benjamin Hohlfelder2 and Samuel Z. Goldhaber3



(1)
Cardiovascular Division, Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

(2)
Department of Pharmacy Services, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

(3)
Thrombosis Research Group, Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

 



Abstract

Long-term care of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes determining the optimal duration of anticoagulation after VTE. Selection of the optimal duration and drug regimen requires an individualized assessment of the patient’s long-term risk of recurrence as well as bleeding. Warfarin and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been validated for extended duration anticoagulation to prevent recurrent unprovoked VTE. Aspirin also plays a role in the prevention of recurrence in patients with unprovoked VTE.


Keywords
AspirinDuration of anticoagulationNOACsVenous thromboembolism recurrenceWarfarin



Self-Assessment Questions




1.

Which of the following oral regimens has not been proven to decrease the long-term risk of recurrent VTE in patients with an initial unprovoked pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who have completed an initial 6–12 months of anticoagulation?

(a)

Warfarin with an International Normalized Ratio (INR) intensity of 1.5–2.0

 

(b)

Warfarin with an INR intensity of 2.0–3.0

 

(c)

Apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily

 

(d)

Edoxaban 60 mg once daily

 

(e)

Aspirin 100 mg orally daily

 

 

2.

Extended duration anticoagulation to prevent a high risk of VTE recurrence should be prescribed to which of the following patients?

(a)

A 25-year-old woman who developed bilateral PE and right-sided DVT in the setting of a combination oral contraceptive pill

 

(b)

A 89-year-old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and recurrent diverticular bleeding who developed unprovoked bilateral PE

 

(c)

A 72-year-old man with a history of obesity who developed an unprovoked left calf DVT

 

(d)

A 55-year-old woman with factor V Leiden heterozygosity who developed right-sided PE in the setting of estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy

 

 


Clinical Vignette

A 67-year-old man with history of hypertension and diabetes presented with progressive left leg swelling and calf discomfort. He denied any recent trauma, major surgery, or periods of immobility. He initially attributed the discomfort to an increase in his exercise routine. However, after it persisted despite a hiatus from exercise, he presented to his Primary Care Physician. A venous ultrasound was performed and documented left popliteal DVT (Fig. 10.1). The patient was treated with rivaroxaban 15 mg orally twice daily for 3 weeks and then 20 mg daily thereafter for a total of 6 months of anticoagulation. Six months after discontinuing rivaroxaban, he developed recurrent left leg swelling and discomfort this time involving the whole lower extremity. Again, he noted no recent trauma, major surgery, or immobility. The pain was so severe that the patient was having difficulty ambulating. He presented to the Emergency Department where he was noted to have a tender and tensely edematous left thigh and calf. Venous ultrasound demonstrated new left common femoral and femoral deep vein thrombosis (Figs. 10.2 and 10.3). Because of the severity of his symptoms, Vascular Medicine was consulted and recommended catheter-directed fibrinolysis. The patient noted marked improvement in his lower extremity symptoms following overnight catheter-based fibrinolysis. May-Thurner compression was not observed on repeat venography the following day. He was restarted on rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks followed 20 mg daily thereafter. He was referred to Vascular Medicine clinic after hospital discharge to determine the optimal duration of anticoagulation. His Vascular Medicine physician recommended extended duration anticoagulation with rivaroxaban 20 mg daily because of the patient’s recurrent unprovoked DVTs and high risk for recurrence.

A327336_1_En_10_Fig1_HTML.jpg


Fig. 10.1
Venous ultrasound demonstrating echogenic material (oval) in the left popliteal vein (POP V) consistent with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a 67-year-old man with history of hypertension and diabetes who presented with progressive left leg swelling and calf discomfort. In contrast to the left popliteal artery (POP A), there is no evidence of color Doppler flow in the left popliteal vein because it has thrombosed


A327336_1_En_10_Fig2_HTML.jpg


Fig. 10.2
Venous ultrasound demonstrating echogenic material (oval) in a dilated left common femoral vein (CFV) consistent with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a 67-year-old man with history of hypertension, diabetes, and prior DVT who presented with severe entire left leg swelling and discomfort. The left greater saphenous vein (GSV) and common femoral artery (CFA) appear normal


A327336_1_En_10_Fig3_HTML.jpg


Fig. 10.3
Venous ultrasound demonstrating a large amount of echogenic material in the left common femoral vein with a small residual channel of color Doppler flow consistent with nearly totally occlusive deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in a 67-year-old man with history of hypertension, diabetes, and prior DVT who presented with severe entire left leg swelling and discomfort


Optimal Duration of Anticoagulation


Determining the optimal duration of anticoagulation after VTE requires an individualized assessment of the patient’s long-term risk of recurrence as well as bleeding (Fig. 10.4) [1, 2]. A population-based strategy recommends time-limited anticoagulation of 3–6 months for provoked VTE and extended duration anticoagulation for patients with low bleeding risk and unprovoked (idiopathic) VTE. The patient in the Clinical Vignette provides an example of a patient with an initial unprovoked DVT who was prescribed only time-limited (6 months) of anticoagulation who subsequently developed an extensive recurrent unprovoked DVT. The patient would have benefited from extended duration anticoagulation following the initial event and was ultimately prescribed long-term therapy with rivaroxaban after the second unprovoked DVT.

A327336_1_En_10_Fig4_HTML.jpg


Fig. 10.4
An approach to optimizing duration of anticoagulation in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Patients with VTE in the setting of malignancy have an increased risk of recurrent VTE and are generally prescribed extended duration anticoagulation with a LMWH as long as they have active cancer [3]. Similarly, VTE patients with severe thrombophilia, such as those with antiphospholipid antibodies, deficiencies of protein C, S, or antithrombin, or homozygosity for factor V Leiden or the prothrombin gene mutation, are often prescribed extended duration anticoagulation because of a high risk of recurrence. Although not endorsed by published evidence-based guidelines, a patient-specific strategy utilizing D-dimer testing or lower extremity venous imaging after completion of standard anticoagulation for VTE has been evaluated to determine optimal duration of anticoagulation [4]. However, a prospective clinical study found that the risk for recurrence in patients with a first unprovoked VTE who had negative D-dimer results was not low enough to justify stopping anticoagulation [5]. Other chronic medical conditions that predispose to VTE, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, systemic inflammatory disorders, and obesity, may also be considered in the decision-making regarding optimal duration of anticoagulation [1].

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Jun 3, 2017 | Posted by in CARDIOLOGY | Comments Off on Long-Term Management of Venous Thromboembolism: Strategies for Reducing the Risk of Recurrence

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