| | An expert commentary by Amir Jaffer, MD
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. [1] Approximately 2 million Americans experience a thrombotic event each year, and estimates indicate that 600,000 of these patients develop a PE — a serious complication of DVT. Of the patients that develop PE each year, approximately 10% (60,000) will die, which is more than the annual number of people that die as a result of breast cancer. [1] However, the number of deaths caused by PE may be underestimated because of the silent nature of VTE.
In this expert commentary for ThrombosisClinic.com, Dr Amir Jaffer discusses the identification of patients with DVT or PE and current standards and the future directions for diagnosis. Dr Jaffer is a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the section of Hospital and Preoperative Medicine. He is also the Medical Director of the Anticoagulation Clinic and the Internal Medicine Preoperative Center at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.
Reference
1. Hirsh J, Hoak J. Management of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. A statement for healthcare professionals. Council on Thrombosis (in consultation with the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology), American Heart Association. Circulation. 1996;93:2212-2245.
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