Venous thrombosis following femoral venous access for electrophysiology studies: an on-going challenge

Prevention of venous thromboembolism in right heart-sided electrophysiological procedures: results of an European Heart Rhythm Association survey

Limited data are available regarding venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), following right-sided ablations and electrophysiological (EP) studies. Compared to left-sided procedures, no guidelines on antithrombotic management strategies for the prevention of DVT and PE are available. The main purpose of the present European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) survey is to report the current management of right-sided EP procedures, focusing on anticoagulation and prevention of VTE. An online survey was conducted using the EHRA infrastructure. A total of 244 participants answered a 19-items questionnaire on the periprocedural management of EP studies and right-sided catheter ablations. The right femoral vein is the most common access for EP studies and right-sided procedures. An ultrasound-guided approach is employed by more than 2/3 of respondents. Intravenous heparin is not commonly given by the majority of participants. About 1/3 of participants (34%) routinely prescribe VTE prophylaxis during (mostly aspirin and low molecular weight heparin) and 1/4 of respondents (25%) commonly prescribe VTE prophylaxis after discharge (mostly aspirin). Of note, respectively 13% and 9% of participants observed at least one DVT and one PE related to right-sided ablation or EP study within the last year in their center. The present survey shows that only a minority of operators routinely gives intraprocedural intravenous heparin and prescribes VTE prophylaxis after right-sided EP procedures. Compared to left-sided procedures like atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, there are no consistent systematic antithrombotic management strategies.

Prevention and Treatment of Lower Limb Deep Vein Thrombosis after Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation: Results of a Prospective active controlled Study

We conducted a prospective, single-center, active controlled study from July 2013 to January 2015, in Chinese patients with rapid ventricular arrhythmia who had received radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) treatment to determine formation of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (LDVT) post RFCA procedure, and evaluated the effect of rivaroxaban on LDVT. Patients with asymptomatic pulmonary thromboembolism who had not received any other anticoagulant and had received no more than 36 hours of treatment with unfractionated heparin were included. Post RFCA procedure, patients received either rivaroxaban (10 mg/d for 14 days beginning 2–3 hours post-operation; n = 86) or aspirin (100 mg/d for 3 months beginning 2–3 hours post-operation; n = 90). The primary outcome was a composite of LDVT occurrence, change in diameter of femoral veins, and safety outcomes that were analyzed based on major or minor bleeding events. In addition, blood flow velocity was determined. No complete occlusive thrombus or bleeding events were reported with either of the group. The lower incidence rate of non-occluded thrombus in rivaroxaban (5.8%) compared to the aspirin group (16.7%) indicates rivaroxaban may be administered post-RFCA to prevent and treat femoral venous thrombosis in a secure and effective way with a faster inset of action than standard aspirin therapy.

Thermoregulatory central venous catheter-associated thrombus - echocardiographic detection and novel approach to management

An extensive caval thrombus was incidentally detected in a neurosurgical patient by clinician-delivered critical care echocardiography. Recent intracranial haemorrhage prevented therapeutic anticoagulation; the very proximal nature of the thrombus precluded standard deployment of an inferior vena cava filter. We describe the novel radiological technique employed to manage the thrombus, and examine whether a thermoregulatory central venous catheter inserted as part of standard neuro-critical care may have contributed to the risk and extent of the caval thrombus.