Deep vein thrombosis in patients with chronic kidney disease

H Leon Daneschvar1, Ali Seddighzadeh, Gregory Piazza

  • 1Cardiovascular Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Insights

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients presents differently, often affecting the upper extremities. Prophylaxis rates for DVT remain low in CKD patients, necessitating new detection and prevention strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a significant complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • Understanding the distinct characteristics and risk factors of DVT in CKD patients is crucial for improved patient outcomes.
  • CKD is defined as requiring dialysis or having nephrotic syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To profile and compare deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  • To identify demographic, clinical, and presentation differences in DVT between CKD and non-CKD populations.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative analysis of 268 CKD patients and 4,307 non-CKD patients from a prospective US multicenter DVT registry.
  • CKD was defined by dialysis dependence or nephrotic syndrome.
  • Demographic data, comorbidities, prior surgery, DVT location, symptoms, and prophylaxis rates were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • CKD patients with DVT were younger, more often African-American and Hispanic, and had higher rates of prior surgery and congestive heart failure.
  • Upper extremity DVT was significantly more frequent in CKD patients (30.0% vs. 10.8%).
  • CKD patients presented less often with typical DVT symptoms like extremity discomfort and difficulty ambulating. Prophylaxis rates were low in both groups.

Conclusions:

  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients exhibits unique epidemiological and clinical features compared to non-CKD patients.
  • The higher incidence of upper extremity DVT and atypical presentations in CKD warrants further investigation.
  • Low prophylaxis utilization in CKD patients highlights the need for enhanced DVT detection and prevention strategies in this vulnerable population.

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