This week American specialists issued several guidelines in order to help primary care physicians diagnose and treat venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), which include deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
VTEs are potentially deadly diseases that take place when a blood clot that is molded at one point of the circulatory system detaches and travels to block blood circulation at another point.
A pulmonary embolism takes place when this sort of clot, that normally molds in the veins of the leg, obstructs the pulmonary artery or any of its branches. This can lead to acute sharp failure or unexpected death.
The problem of deep-vein thrombosis became notorious when some passengers on long-haul flights came down with the disease, which some have dubbed "economy-class syndrome."
Early treatment saves lives
Treating the illness at a very early stage can make it possible for the doctors to save lives and prevent complications like pulmonary embolism or recurrent deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), for example.
These latest guidelines were drawn up by the specialists from the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians.
Fundamental points of the new diagnosis guideline include: the use of clinical prediction rules in order to establish pretest probability of (DVT) or pulmonary embolism in a patient before additional tests are performed; and the usefulness of various diagnostic tools including D-dimer and ultrasonography.
The new management guideline supports using low-molecular weight heparin, a blood thinner, for patients suffering from deep vein thrombosis in an outpatient setting when suitable support services are accessible.
It is expected that the new guidelines will be published in the journals Annals of Family Medicine and Annals of Internal Medicine.
"These guidelines offer information concerning the utility of different diagnostic tools and compare the efficiency and safety of different pharmacologic agents used to treat VTE," Dr Amir Qaseem, senior medical associate in the Clinical Programs and Quality of Care department of the Medical Education and Publishing Division at the American College of Physicians, explained in a prepared statement.
