Comparison of seven prognostic tools to identify low-risk pulmonary embolism in patients aged <50 years

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Recent Advances in the Management of Cancer-Associated Thrombosis: New Hopes but New Challenges

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients and leads to a significant increase in health care costs. Cancer patients often suffer from multiple co-morbidities and have both a greater risk of VTE recurrence and bleeding compared to non-cancer patients. Anticoagulation is therefore challenging. For many years, long-term therapy with Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin (LMWH) was the standard of care for the management of cancer-associated VTE. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), which offer the convenience of an oral administration and have a rapid onset of action, have recently been proposed as a new option in this setting. Head-to-head comparisons between DOAC and LMWHs for the treatment of established VTE are now available, and data on the efficacy and safety of these drugs for primary prophylaxis of VTE in ambulatory cancer patients receiving systemic anticancer therapy are emerging. This narrative review aims to summarize the main recent advances in the prevention and treatment of cancer-associated VTE, including recent data on the use of individualized factors to stratify the risk of VTE in each individual patient, quality-of-life in patients treated with LMWH, and the place that DOACs will likely take in the cancer-associated VTE management landscape

Reproducibility and utility of the 6-minute walk test in systemic sclerosis

Objective: To assess the reproducibility and the utility of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: All patients with SSc who underwent at least two 6MWT within a minimum 3-month interval plus simultaneous routine clinical, biological, and functional evaluations were consecutively enrolled in this observational study over 6 years. Following American Thoracic Society guidelines, each 6MWT was repeated twice to assess the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) reproducibility, with the highest value being reported for subsequent analysis. Results: Among 56 (38 female) included patients aged 46 +/- SD 12.7 years, with 17 +/- 10 modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and 1 +/- 0.8 Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ) at first referral, 277 6MWT evaluations (5 +/- 3.9 6MWT per patient) were performed over 23 +/- 225 months followup. Meanwhile, 8 deaths (87.5% SSc-related) occurred. The mean 6MWD absolute value was 457 +/- 117 m with a 4 +/- 2.2 mean Borg dyspnea score. The 6MWD intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.996 (95% CI 0.995-0.999, p < 0.0001). In multivariate linear regression analysis, these factors were independently associated with a lower 6MWD: sex (R-2 = 0.47, p < 0.0001), mRSS (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.008), tendon friction rub (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.003), SHAQ (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.02), muscle disability score (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.03), DLCO% (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.0008), and left ventricular ejection fraction (R-2 = 0.47, p = 0.006). The 6MWD at first referral was an independent predictor for the overall mortality (IIR 0.99, 95% CI 0.988-0.999) and the SSc-related mortality (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.988-0.999). Conclusion: We show strong reproducibility for the 6MWD and confirm the 6MWT utility to assess the overall prognosis of patients with SSc

Quality of life in cancer patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment with LMWH for venous thromboembolism: the QUAVITEC study on behalf of the Groupe Francophone Thrombose et Cancer (GFTC)

International audienc

Protocol for a partially nested randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the scleroderma patient-centered intervention network COVID-19 home-isolation activities together (SPIN-CHAT) program to reduce anxiety among at-risk scleroderma patients

International audienceObjective: Contagious disease outbreaks and related restrictions can lead to negative psychological outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations at risk due to pre-existing medical conditions. No randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have tested interventions to reduce mental health consequences of contagious disease outbreaks. The primary objective of the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network COVID-19 Home-isolation Activities Together (SPIN-CHAT) Trial is to evaluate the effect of a videoconference-based program on symptoms of anxiety. Secondary objectives include evaluating effects on symptoms of depression, stress, loneliness, boredom, physical activity, and social interaction.Methods: The SPIN-CHAT Trial is a pragmatic RCT that will be conducted using the SPIN-COVID-19 Cohort, a sub-cohort of the SPIN Cohort. Eligible participants will be SPIN-COVID-19 Cohort participants without a positive COVID-19 test, with at least mild anxiety (PROMIS Anxiety 4a v1.0 T-score >= 55), not working from home, and not receiving current counselling or psychotherapy. We will randomly assign 162 participants to intervention groups of 7 to 10 participants each or waitlist control. We will use a partially nested RCT design to reflect dependence between individuals in training groups but not in the waitlist control. The SPIN-CHAT Program includes activity engagement, education on strategies to support mental health, and mutual participant support. Intervention participants will receive the 4-week (3 sessions per week) SPIN-CHAT Program via video-conference. The primary outcome is PROMIS Anxiety 4a score immediately post-intervention.Ethics and dissemination: The SPIN-CHAT Trial will test whether a brief videoconference-based intervention will improve mental health outcomes among at-risk individuals during contagious disease outbreak

Patient-Level, Institutional, and Temporal Variations in Use of Imaging Modalities to Confirm Pulmonary Embolism

International audienceBackground: The choice of the imaging modality for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) could be influenced by provider, patient or hospital characteristics, or over time. However, little is known about the choice of the diagnostic modalities in practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variations in the use of imaging modalities for patients with acute PE. Methods: Using the data from Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica (RIETE), a prospective international registry of patients with venous thromboembolism (March 2001–January 2019), we explored the imaging modalities used in patients with acute PE. The imaging modalities included computed tomography pulmonary angiography, ventilation/perfusion scanning, pulmonary angiography, a combination of these tests, or PE signs and symptoms plus imaging-confirmed proximal deep vein thrombosis but no chest imaging. Results: Among 38 025 patients with confirmed PE (53.1% female, age: 67.3±17 years), computed tomography pulmonary angiography was the dominant modality of diagnosis in all RIETE enrollees (78.2% [99% CI, 77.6–78.7]); including pregnant patients (58.9% [99% CI, 47.7%–69.4%]) and patients with severe renal insufficiency (62.5% [99% CI, 59.9–65.0]). A greater proportion of patients underwent ventilation/perfusion scanning in larger hospitals compared with smaller hospitals (13.1% versus 7.3%, P <0.001). The use of computed tomography pulmonary angiography varied between 13.3% and 98.3% across the countries, and its use increased over time (46.5% in 2002 to 91.7% in 2018, P <0.001). Conclusions: In a large multinational PE registry, variations were observed in the use of imaging modalities according to patient or institutional factors and over time. However, computed tomography pulmonary angiography was the dominant modality of diagnosis, even in pregnancy and severe renal insufficiency. The safety, costs, and downstream effects of these tests on PE-related and non-PE-related outcomes warrant further investigation