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Association of Obesity and Pediatric Venous Thromboembolism

Elizabeth E Halvorson1, Sean E Ervin2, Thomas B Russell2

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics, ehalvors@wakehealth.edu.

Hospital Pediatrics
|December 18, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rising. This study found that increased body mass index (BMI) z score is a significant risk factor for VTE in children and adolescents.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is increasing in US pediatric patients.
  • Previous research on obesity's role in pediatric VTE has yielded inconsistent findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of VTE in pediatric patients.
  • To identify independent predictors of VTE in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients (2-18 years) with VTE.
  • Matched control subjects based on age, gender, and central venous catheter presence.
  • Analysis of risk factors including BMI z score, bacteremia, ICU admission, and oral contraceptive use.

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant association was found between VTE and increased BMI z score (P = .002).
  • Multivariate analysis identified BMI z score (OR: 3.1), bacteremia (OR: 4.9), ICU stay (OR: 2.5), and oral contraceptive use (OR: 17.4) as significant predictors.
  • The majority of VTE events were nonembolic and located in the lower extremities or head and neck.

Conclusions:

  • Overweight and obesity are significantly associated with VTE diagnosis in pediatric patients.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the relationship between BMI and pediatric VTE.
Abstract

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