Background: Risk assessment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a part of every hospital admission. The workflow of who completes the assessment varies between hospitals, but often it is carried out by trainees. VTE risk assessment is further complicated by the variety of methods to identify those patients who are appropriate for chemoprophylaxis, mechanical prophylaxis, or […]

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), constitute a major health problem in the United States Health System, with a reported high mortality rate and significant economic toll. Despite the prevalence of VTE and associated mortality, clinicians have struggled in prescribing appropriate VTE prophylaxis for the inpatient population, often […]

Background: VTE is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, in fact, as many as 10% of deaths of hospitalized patients have been contributed to pulmonary embolism.1 The ACP and AACP in their 2011 and 2012 guidelines, respectively, recommend that all hospitalized patients be evaluated for risk of VTE, and subsequent prophylaxis be initiated if benefits […]

Case Presentation: The patient was a 38 year old male with a 5 year history of ulcerative colitis (UC) who presented with a flare of symptoms during the past year, resulting in a 60 lb weight loss. He had been having up to 42 bloody bowel movements per day. The patient was found to have […]

Case Presentation: 60-year-old gentleman with a history of autoimmune hemolytic anemia presented to emergency department with acute onset of severe left leg pain, edema, and cyanosis. On examination of his left leg, pulses were not palpable distal to posterior tibialis but motor functions remained intact. There were no blebs or bullae noted. He was requiring […]