Fighting the Hydra: Current Understanding of Pediatric Thrombosis

摘要

In 2009, Raffini et al. published a study utilizing the Pediatric Hospital Inpatient System database showing that from 2001 to 2007, the annual rate of pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) increased from 34 to 58 per 10,000 admissions. The presence of a central venous line (CVL) is the number one risk factor for the development of VTE in the pediatric population. In addition, children with a variety of medical conditions such as malignancy, cardiac disease, autoimmune disease or nephrotic syndrome are at increased risk for VTE. Of course, it stands to reason that patients with more complex diseases may also be those patients most likely to have a CVL, but no specific studies have been done to confirm that supposition. In addition, some pediatric patients have an inherited risk of VTE development. Research has demonstrated that those patients with an inherited thrombophilia are at increased risk of VTE, particularly in the presence of another acquired or inherited risk factor.