Introduction: Limited data exists on the safety and efficacy of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC) use in morbidly obese patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). Given the benefits of DOAC use over vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), in terms of monitoring requirements, and dietary and drug interactions, it is important to evaluate whether this is consistent in the higher risk for VTE recurrence morbidly obese group body mass index (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Materials and methods: This retrospective, single-center cohort study included patients with a BMI of at least 40 kg/m2 who were admitted to Emory University Hospital from 1st January 2012 to 31st May 2020 with acute VTE, and subsequently initiated on anticoagulation treatment with either DOAC or VKA (warfarin). Univariate and bivariate analyses were used to evaluate differences in demographics by treatment type and BMI. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the risk of VTE recurrence by type of treatment among morbidly obese patient subgroup. Results: There were 247 (11.8%) morbidly obese (≥ 40 kg/m2) patients who were more likely than non-obese patients to be younger, female, and of non-white race. Thirty percent of the study population (n=74) had a BMI >50 kg/m2. T ime-to-event analysis confirmed that the hazard of experiencing a recurrent thrombosis was not statistically significantly different among morbidly obese patients treated with a DOAC compared with VKA (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.28, confidence interval [CI] 0.07-1.11, p = 0.07). Conclusions: This study aligns with previous literature and confirms that morbidly obese patients receiving DOAC or VKA have similar risks of recurrent VTE.

Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seem to be at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) development, but there is a paucity of data exploring both the natural history of COVID-19–associated VTE and the risk for poor outcomes after VTE development. This investigation aims to explore the relationship between COVID-19–associated VTE development and mortality. A prospectively maintained registry of patients older than 18 years admitted for COVID-19–related illnesses within an academic health care network between March and September 2020 was reviewed. Codes from the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases for VTE were collected. The charts of those patients with a code for VTE were manually reviewed to confirm VTE diagnosis. There were 2,552 patients admitted with COVID-19–related illnesses. One hundred and twenty-six patients (4.9%) developed a VTE. A disproportionate percentage of patients of Black race developed a VTE (70.9% VTE v 57.8% non-VTE; P = .012). A higher proportion of patients with VTE expired during their index hospitalization (22.8% VTE v 8.4% non-VTE; P < .001). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, VTE was independently associated with mortality (odds ratio = 3.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.9–5.2; P < .001). Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity was associated with decreased mortality (odds ratio = 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.21–1.00; P = .049). Hospitalized patients of Black race with COVID-19 were more prone to VTE development, and patients with COVID-19 who developed in-hospital VTE had roughly nearly threefold higher odds of mortality. Further emphasis should be placed on optimizing COVID-19 anticoagulation protocols to reduce mortality in this high-risk cohort.

Standard treatment of catheter-associated upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) is anticoagulation, although catheters are often removed for this indication. The optimal time for catheter removal and whether the act and/or timing of catheter removal is associated with pulmonary embolism (PE) remain unknown. A retrospective cohort study was performed at 8 participating institutions through the Venous thromboEmbolism Network US. Patients with hematologic malignancies and central venous catheter (CVC)-associated UE-DVT were included from 1 January 2010 through 31 December 2016. The primary outcome was objectively confirmed PE within 7 days of UE-DVT diagnosis in anticoagulated patients comparing early (≥48 hours) vs delayed (>48 hours) catheter removal. A total of 626 patients were included, among whom 480 were treated with anticoagulation. Among anticoagulated patients, 255 underwent early CVC removal, while 225 had delayed or no CVC removal; 146 patients received no anticoagulation, among whom 116 underwent CVC removal alone. PE within 7 days occurred in 2 patients (0.78%) with early removal compared with 1 patient (0.44%) with delayed or no CVC removal (P>.9). PE or any cause of death within 7 days occurred in 3 patients in both the early removal (1.18%) and delayed/no removal (1.33%) groups (P > .9). In patients treated with CVC removal only (no anticoagulation), there were no PEs but 3 deaths within 7 days. In patients with hematological malignancy and CVC-associated UE-DVT, early removal of CVCs was not associated with an increased risk of PE compared with delayed or no removal.

Background: The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), apixaban and rivaroxaban, have been studied for extended-phase treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Yet, scant evidence exists surrounding clinician practice and decision-making regarding dose reduction. Aims: Report clinician practice and characteristics surrounding dose reduction of DOACs for extended-phase VTE treatment. Methods: We conducted a 16-question REDCap survey between July 14, 2021, and September 13, 2021, among ISTH 2021 Congress attendees and on Twitter. We explored factors associated with dose reduction using logistic regression. We used k-means clustering to identify distinct groups of dose-reduction decision-making. Random forest analysis explored demographics with respect to identified groups. Results: Among 171 respondents, most were attending academic physicians from North America. Clinicians who treated larger volumes of patients had higher odds of dose reduction. We identified five clusters that showed distinct patterns of behavior regarding dose reduction. Cluster 1 rarely dose reduces and likely prescribes rivaroxaban over apixaban; cluster 2 dose reduces frequently, does not consider age when dose-reducing, is least likely to temporarily reescalate dosing, and prescribes apixaban and rivaroxaban equally; cluster 3 dose reduces <50% of the time, and temporarily reescalates dosing during increased VTE risk; cluster 4 dose reduces frequently, temporarily reescalates dosing, and is most likely to prescribe apixaban over rivaroxaban; and cluster 5 dose reduces most frequently, and takes the fewest risk factors into consideration when deciding to dose reduce. Conclusions: Most clinicians elect to dose-reduce DOACs for extended-phase anticoagulation. The likelihood of a clinician to dose reduce increases with volume of patients treated. Clinician prescribing patterns cluster around VTE risk factors as well as reescalation during high-risk periods.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) with concurrent thrombocytopenia is frequently encountered in patients with cancer. Therapeutic anticoagulation in the setting of thrombocytopenia is associated with a high risk of hemorrhage. Retrospective analyses suggest the utility of modified-dose anticoagulation in this population. To assess the incidence of hemorrhage or thrombosis according to anticoagulation strategy, we performed a prospective, multicenter, observational study. Patients with active malignancy, acute VTE, and concurrent thrombocytopenia (platelet count,100 000/mL) were enrolled. The cumulative incidences of hemorrhage or recurrent VTE were determined considering death as a competing risk. Primary outcomes were centrally adjudicated and comparisons made according to initial treatment with full-dose or modified-dose anticoagulation. A total of 121 patients were enrolled at 6 hospitals. Seventy-five patients were initially treated with full-dose anticoagulation (62%) and 33 (27%) with modified-dose anticoagulation; 13 (11%) patients received no anticoagulation. Most patients who received modified-dose anticoagulation had a hematologic malignancy (31 of 33 [94%]) and an acute deep vein thrombosis (28 of 33 [85%]). In patients who initially received full-dose anticoagulation, the cumulative incidence of major hemorrhage at 60 days was 12.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9-20.8) and 6.6% (95% CI, 2.4-15.7) in those who received modified-dose anticoagulation (Fine-Gray hazard ratio, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.21-3.93). The cumulative incidence of recurrent VTE at 60 days in patients who initially received full-dose anticoagulation was 5.6% (95% CI, 0.2-11) and 0% in patients who received modified-dose anticoagulation. In conclusion, modified-dose anticoagulation appears to be a safe alternative to therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with cancer who develop deep vein thrombosis in the setting of thrombocytopenia.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare complication associated with vaccines targeting various diseases, including influenza, measles‐mumps‐rubella, hepatitis B, and diphtheria‐tetanus‐pertussis. We report 2 cases of ITP in healthy 20‐year‐old and 21‐year‐old women presenting to Emory University in Atlanta, GA, 2 days after the second dose and 11 days after the first dose (respectively) of the Pfizer‐BioNTech messenger RNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine. Both patients recovered quickly. With more than a billion doses of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines safely administered worldwide as of May 2021, discussions with patients should put into perspective the low risks of vaccination against the enormous societal benefit of the coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine.

ABSTRACT: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has threatened millions of lives worldwide with severe systemic inflammation, organ dysfunction, and thromboembolic disease. Within our institution, many critically ill COVID-19-positive patients suffered major thrombotic events, prompting our clinicians to evaluate hypercoagulability outside of traditional coagulation testing.We determined the prevalence of fibrinolysis shutdown via rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM, Instrumentation Laboratories, Bedford, Mass) in patients admitted to the intensive care unit over a period of 3 weeks. In 25 patients who had a ROTEM test, we found that 11 (44%) met criteria for fibrinolysis shutdown. Eight of 9 (73%) of the VTE patients met criteria for fibrinolysis shutdown.Given the high rate of fibrinolysis shutdown in these patients, our data support using viscoelastic testing to evaluate for the presence of impaired fibrinolysis. This may help identify patient subsets who might benefit from the administration of fibrinolytics.

Immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) is a life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy associated with severe deficiency in ADAMTS13, a disintegrin and metalloprotease responsible for limiting abnormally high concentrations of ultra-large von Willebrand factor multimers in the plasma of humans.1,2 Classically, iTTP results from B-cell production of immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies to ADAMTS13, leading to critically low activity levels (<10%) and formation of platelet-rich thrombi with thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and schistocytes under high-shear conditions in the microvasculature.3 Management of iTTP involves safely and quickly initiating immunomodulating agents targeting rogue lymphocytes responsible for IgG production alongside a treatment backbone of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPEx), which repletes ADAMTS13 and removes autoantibodies.4

PURPOSE Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a curable leukemia with . 90% survival in clinical trials. Population-based studies from Sweden and US SEER data have shown long-term survival rates of 62% and 65.7%, with the lower rate being from a higher percentage of early deaths. METHODS In this prospective, multicenter trial, we developed a simplified algorithm that focused on prevention and early treatment of the three main causes of death: bleeding, differentiation syndrome, and infection. All patients with a diagnosis of APL were included. The initial 6 months were spent educating oncologists about early deaths in APL. At the time of suspicion of an APL, an expert was contacted. The algorithm was made available followed by discussion of the treatment plan. Communication between expert and treating physician was frequent in the first 2 weeks, during which time most deaths take place. RESULTS Between September 2013 and April 2016, 120 patients enrolled in the study from 32 hospitals. The median age was 52.5 years, with 39% . 60 years and 25% with an age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index . 4. Sixty-three percent of patients were managed at community centers. Two patients did not meet the criteria for analysis, and of 118 evaluable patients, 10 died, with an early mortality rate of 8.5%. With a median follow-up of 27.3 months, the overall survival was 84.5%. CONCLUSION Induction mortality can be decreased and population-wide survival improved in APL with the use of standardized treatment guidelines. Support from experts who have more experience with induction therapy is crucial and helps to improve the outcomes.

Background Recent data suggests an association between blood hyperviscosity and both propensity for thrombosis and disease severity in patients with COVID‐19. This raises the possibility that increased viscosity may contribute to endothelial damage and multiorgan failure in COVID‐19, and that therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) to decrease viscosity may improve patient outcomes. Here we sought to share our experience using TPE in the first 6 patients treated for COVID‐19‐associated hyperviscosity. Study Design and Methods Six critically ill COVID‐19 patients with plasma viscosity levels ranging from 2.6 to 4.2 centipoise (cP; normal range, 1.4‐1.8 cP) underwent daily TPE for 2‐3 treatments. Results TPE decreased plasma viscosity in all six patients (Pre‐TPE median 3.75 cP, range 2.6‐4.2 cP; Post‐TPE median 1.6 cP, range 1.5‐1.9 cP). TPE also decreased fibrinogen levels in all five patients for whom results were available (Pre‐TPE median 739 mg/dL, range 601‐1188 mg/dL; Post‐TPE median 359 mg/dL, range 235‐461 mg/dL); D‐dimer levels in all six patients (Pre‐TPE median 5921 ng/mL, range 1134‐60 000 ng/mL; Post‐TPE median 4893 ng/mL, range 620‐7518 ng/mL); and CRP levels in five of six patients (Pre‐TPE median 292 mg/L, range 136‐329 mg/L; Post‐TPE median 84 mg/L, range 31‐211 mg/L). While the two sickest patients died, significant improvement in clinical status was observed in four of six patients shortly after TPE. Conclusions This series demonstrates the utility of TPE to rapidly correct increased blood viscosity in patients with COVID‐19‐associated hyperviscosity. Large randomized trials are needed to determine whether TPE may improve clinical outcomes for patients with COVID‐19.