Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0149871 (deep vein thrombosis)
 12,364 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

While subcutaneous heparin is a standard prophylaxis for death from pulmonary embolism following general surgery, it has been suggested that adding the vasoconstricting drug dihydroergotamine would improve survival compared to heparin alone. Dihydroergotamine may be associated with rare but life-threatening side effects; thus, reduced mortality from pulmonary embolism could be offset by increased mortality from other causes. Because a clinical trial to examine this possibility would be impractical, we performed a cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate the effects of prophylactic dihydroergotamine on mortality. Based on published data, despite its favorable effects on the prevention of deep vein thrombosis, the addition of dihydroergotamine did not appear to save lives when added to heparin as prophylaxis. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated that even if published risk estimates are in error, substantial changes would still not support the conclusion that dihydroergotamine is life-saving. In the absence of clear potential for improved survival, the increased costs associated with dihydroergotamine provide reason to question its routine prophylactic use in general surgery.
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PMID:Two strategies for prophylaxis of fatal postoperative pulmonary embolism. Cost-effectiveness analysis. 212 59

The effect of either (randomized) Heparin/Dihydroergotamine (HDHE) or heparin-acenocoumarin (Hep/S) on the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis in the legs was studied in 212 women of more than 60 years of age with hip fractures. All patients were screened with the 125-I-fibrinogen uptake test (FUT) confirmed by a bilateral ascending venogram upon positive FUT. This revealed good sensitivity and specificity (85/84%) for the FUT. Deep vein thrombosis developed in 37.6% of the HDHE group and in 59.1% of the Hep/S group which was significantly different (p less than 0.005). The calculated thrombosis risk was significantly diminished (by 38% - p less than 0.005) in the HDHE group. Therefore we conclude that in traumatology Heparin/Dihydroergotamine seems to be the prophylaxis of choice.
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PMID:[Thrombosis prevention with heparin/dihydroergotamine versus heparin/Sintrom in Ender nailing of pertrochanteric fractures]. 328 33

Dihydroergotamine(DHE)-heparin combination offers a unique treatment modality for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis. The combination appears to affect all 3 limbs of Virchow's triad: hypercoagulability, venous stasis, and endothelial damage. In most efficacy studies, data indicated that the combination of DHE 0.5 mg and heparin 5000 IU was superior to low-dose heparin alone. Even when the efficacy of DHE-heparin was the same as that of heparin alone, the use of the combination allowed for a decrease in the heparin dose required.
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PMID:Combination dihydroergotamine mesylate and heparin sodium with lidocaine HCl. Pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects. 353 4

The cause of postoperative DVT is considered to be changes in blood coagulation, stasis of blood within the veins, and injury to the vein wall. The coagulation changes have been investigated and documented and involve platelet activation, stimulation of the coagulation cascade, and blunting of endogenous fibrinolytic activity. Stasis has been objectively identified by retention of contrast material in soleal sinuses and marked changes in venous flow velocity in patients in the supine position and in those under general anesthesia. Vein wall injury is more controversial, but has been shown to be directly related to venodilation. Such dilation of veins occurs in response to operative trauma, hence venous endothelial damage most likely plays a part in the milieu responsible for postoperative DVT. The prophylaxis provided by the combination of dihydroergotamine and heparin appears to affect each of the three limbs of Virchow's triad. Heparin achieves its prophylactic benefit by activating antithrombin III. Activated antithrombin III affects numerous sites in the coagulation cascade. It has been shown that 1 micrograms of antithrombin III inhibits the formation of 1 unit of thrombin; however, in the presence of heparin, 1 micrograms of activated antithrombin III inhibits 750 units of thrombin. Dihydroergotamine increases venous smooth muscle tone without affecting arteriolar smooth muscle. Hence, it has the effect of preventing stasis without increasing blood pressure. It also affects the platelet membrane, prostaglandin synthesis, and blood distribution, although these findings need to be elucidated. The combination of dihydroergotamine and heparin seems to have a synergistic prophylactic effect in preventing postoperative DVT. Heparin modifies the coagulation changes, whereas dihydroergotamine minimizes stasis and potentially prevents the endothelial damage caused by excessive operative venodilation. Such a combination of effects can explain the synergistic prophylactic efficacy found when dihydroergotamine and heparin were employed in combination in the multicenter trial [42].
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PMID:Combined dihydroergotamine and heparin prophylaxis of postoperative deep vein thrombosis: proposed mechanism of action. 390 91

Since 1973 a prospective trial of antithrombotic agents for the prophylaxis of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism was undertaken in 386 high risk patients. Five drugs were employed: 1. A combination of aspirin and dipyridamol (95 patients); 2. Dextran 60 (43 patients); 3. Dihydroergotamine (61 patients); 4. Low dose heparin (63 patients); 5. A combination of dihydroergotamine and low dose heparin (twice daily in 61 patients and three times daily in 63 patients). The patients were investigated by I125 fibrinogen uptake test, phlebography, lung scan and careful clinical evaluation before and after operation. In cases of established thrombosis simultaneous anticoagulation with heparin and coumadin was started. In the first group, 32 (34%) thromboses and three pulmonary emboli were detected of which one patient died. In the dextran group, 24 patients (54%) developed thrombosis and there were no fatal pulmonary emboli. In the low dose heparin group we detected 29 (46%) thromboses and three pulmonary emboli. Only the combination of low dose heparin and dihydroergotamine significantly reduced the incidence of thromboembolic complications-15 (25%) thromboses and no pulmonary emboli. The application of this combination three times a day showed no further improvement but more haemorrhagic complications appeared. Since 1975 no fatal pulmonary emboli have occurred in 720 patients undergoing total hip replacement.
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PMID:Thromboembolism after hip surgery. 616 55