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Published on: February 10, 2023
Acute infections and venous thromboembolism
M Schmidt1, E Horvath-Puho, R W Thomsen
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. morten.schmidt@dce.au.dk
Journal of Internal Medicine
|October 27, 2011
Summary
Acute infections significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This risk is highest shortly after infection and applies to both hospital-diagnosed and community-treated cases.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Limited data exist on the link between acute infections and venous thromboembolism (VTE).
- This study investigates if various infections, diagnosed in hospital or treated in the community, elevate VTE risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between acute infections and the subsequent risk of venous thromboembolism.
- To quantify the increased risk of VTE following different types of infections.
Main Methods:
- Population-based case-control study in Northern Denmark (1999-2009).
- 15,009 VTE cases and 150,074 matched controls were analyzed.
- Infections and community antibiotic prescriptions were identified up to one year prior to VTE.
Main Results:
- Hospital-diagnosed and community-treated infections (respiratory, urinary, skin, intra-abdominal, bacteremic) doubled VTE risk.
- The highest VTE risk was observed within 2 weeks post-infection, decreasing over time.
- Adjusted incidence rate ratios for VTE within 3 months post-infection were 3.3 for hospital-diagnosed and 2.6 for community-treated infections.
Conclusions:
- Acute infections are a significant risk factor for venous thromboembolism.
- The risk of VTE is elevated following various types of infections, with a pronounced effect in the early post-infection period.
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