Awareness regarding venous thromboembolism among internal medicine practitioners in M exico: a national cross‐sectional study

• Published in: Internal medicine journal Vol. 42; no. 12; pp. 1335 - 1341
• Main Authors: Majluf‐Cruz, A., Castro Martinez, G., Herrera Cornejo, M. A., Liceaga‐Cravioto, G., Espinosa‐Larrañaga, F., Garcia‐Chavez, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2012
• ISSN: 1444-0903; 1445-5994
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2011.02646.x

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism ( VTE ) affects millions of patients worldwide and is responsible for thousands of hospitalisations annually. Aims To evaluate the awareness regarding VTE among Mexican internists. Methods We designed a cross‐sectional survey using a questionnaire applied to Mexican internists mainly during academic meetings. Results We collected 1220 questionnaires. VTE was considered a potential complication for medical inpatients by 85% of the respondents, whereas 69% and 63%, respectively, considered pulmonary embolism to be a complication of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and a cause of death. Awareness of some VTE risk factors was adequate, and 85% of those physicians surveyed routinely observed patients for these risk factors, although only 58% performed global risk stratification. Only 12% of the respondents considered length of hospital stay as a risk factor, and 58% assumed that the risk decreases after hospital discharge; 64% and 49% responded that the risk is higher, and VTE risk factors are more frequent in surgical versus medical inpatients respectively. VTE diagnosis was reported as easy or very easy for 59% of the respondents, but only 41% regarded phlebography as the gold standard for diagnosing DVT, although 85% of the respondents reported that d ‐dimer + Doppler ultrasound was an alternative. Pulmonary arteriography or helical computed tomography CT scan was the gold standard for diagnosing pulmonary embolism for 60% of the physicians, but 55% responded that electrocardiogram, arterial gasometry and chest X‐ray are also useful. Conclusions Awareness regarding VTE risk factors and the degree of diagnostic skills among Mexican internal medicine specialists are low.