Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0034065 (pulmonary embolism)
 14,979 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Deep vein thrombosis is a serious complication of orthopaedic surgery and can lead to pulmonary embolism and long term post-thrombotic syndrome. A simulation model based on both epidemiological data and data from clinical trials was used to compare the long term cost effectiveness of standard prophylaxis with subcutaneous unfractionated heparin with that of desirudin (recombinant hirudin), in patients undergoing elective hip replacement. The analysis, which was performed before the price of desirudin was set, showed that prophylactic treatment with desirudin saved 4.5 life-years per 100 patients treated, compared with unfractionated heparin. Desirudin prophylaxis was dominant up to a total drug cost of 4400 Swedish kronor (SEK) per treatment. The results were robust against changes in the parameters used in several sensitivity analyses. This study showed that prophylactic therapy with desirudin compared with unfractionated heparin was more cost effective and potentially cost saving under a wide range of assumptions concerning the future price of desirudin in preventing deep vein thrombosis following elective hip surgery.
 ...
PMID:Economic evaluation of desirudin vs heparin in deep vein thrombosis prevention after hip replacement surgery. 1017 45

In the absence of prophylaxis, elective orthopedic surgery is associated with a high risk of venous thromboembolic events that are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite the publication of articles questioning the significance of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) following elective hip replacement, recent reports support the need for effective thromboprophylaxis in this indication. These reports also provide evidence of a significant reduction in fatal PE and overall mortality provided by treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), compared with unfractionated heparin. Even with the most effective prophylaxis currently available, however, deep vein thrombosis still develops in a minority of high-risk patients, indicating a need for improved therapies. Desirudin, a novel recombinant hirudin and direct thrombin inhibitor, has been shown to provide more effective prophylaxis than the most widely used LMWH, enoxaparin, in orthopedic surgery patients with multiple thromboembolic risk factors. This benefit was not associated with any increase in bleeding. Regional anesthesia and use of graduated compression stockings may provide additional independent reductions in thromboembolic risk in elective orthopedic surgery.
 ...
PMID:New therapeutic options in DVT prophylaxis. 1087 28

Desirudin, administered 30 minutes before total hip arthroplasty is superior to enoxaparin in preventing proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) with similar bleeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the safety of desirudin in patients undergoing elective total knee arthroplasty (TKA) when the first dose of desirudin was administered the evening after surgery. This is a case series of patients undergoing TKA who received desirudin 15 mg every 12 hours subcutaneously for an average of 5 days with the first dose administered postoperatively. The primary endpoint was major bleeding; secondary endpoints included wound outcomes (oozing and infection) and new symptomatic DVT or PE. Desirudin has a favorable safety profile when administered postoperatively in patients undergoing TKA with no reports of major bleeding, wound ooze, or infection. No patients experienced symptomatic DVT, but 2 patients had PE detected by computed tomography after experiencing atypical symptoms. The safety profile of desirudin is improved when administered postoperatively. Bleeding and wound outcomes seem to occur less frequently than historical desirudin and enoxaparin controls.
...
PMID:Safety of desirudin in thrombosis prevention after total knee arthroplasty: the DESIR-ABLE study. 2334 2