Background: Multiple factors can lead to overuse of diagnostic imaging for venous thromboembolism (VTE). These include fear of missing a potentially fatal diagnosis, low predictive accuracy of clinical gestalt, prediction rules, and risk assessment models for VTE, and increased access to imaging. Diagnostic imaging for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) with doppler ultrasonography, or for pulmonary […]

Background: International VTE management guidelines recommend outpatient management for appropriate patients with low-risk deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE)[1-3]. Despite the evidence and recommendations, previous studies reported low prevalence of outpatient management, especially for PE[4, 5]. This analysis aimed to characterize trends in outpatient vs. inpatient management of VTE in the last 5 […]

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third most common vascular disease in the US, frequently underdiagnosed and potentially fatal condition where embolic material blocks one or more pulmonary arteries impairing blood flow. In this study, we aim to describe the prevalence, outcomes, and predictors of mortality of mechanical (MT) and surgical thrombectomy (ST). Methods: This […]

Case Presentation: A Caucasian male in his early 60s with metastatic pancreatic cancer presented to the urgent care with complaints of neck pain. He recently underwent kyphoplasty at the level of T3-T4 two weeks prior. He noticed a growing lump in his neck that grew over the last two days and associated with excruciating pain. […]

Case Presentation: A 49-year-old vegetarian male (on supplements with vitamin B12) with recent myocardial infarction (MI) presented with 8-months of worsening neurological symptoms beginning as paresthesias progressing to cognitive decline and gait instability. Physical exam was significant for poor recall, inability to perform basic calculations, impaired proprioception in the right lower extremity, sensory ataxia in […]

Case Presentation: A 43-year-old woman presented to the emergency department for sudden-onset of right calf pain, dyspnea, and coughing of blood-tinged sputum, along with worsening of right-sided, dull, heavy, pleuritic chest pain which had otherwise been present for three weeks. She was diagnosed with  systemic lupus erythematosus four days prior to presentation. On physical exam, pulse rate was 114/min […]

Background: Symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in about 1% of patients within 3 months after admission to a medicine ward.1,2 The 9th Edition American College of Chest Physicians Guidelines recommends the use of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis in acutely ill hospitalized medical patients at increased risk of thrombosis and suggests against its use in low risk […]