Preventing Venous Thromboembolism

Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at 1 p.m. – 2 p.m., EST

This session of Grand Rounds will explore Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), which consists of 2 related conditions caused by blood clots: Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE). Estimates of the number of people in the U.S. affected by a DVT/PE each year range from 350,000-900,000, with up to 100,000 dying as a result, and 20-50% of people who experience a DVT develop long-term complications.

Up to one-half of all VTEs occur during or soon after hospitalizations, and VTE is one of the most frequent serious adverse events in hospitals. Many VTEs can be prevented if hospitals educate providers and patients, systematically assess risks for clotting and bleeding, and prescribe risk-appropriate prevention strategies. VTE prevention is an important component of hospital patient safety improvement efforts that are being supported by a number of organizations and Federal agencies.

A comprehensive public health approach to VTE prevention includes activities to develop monitoring systems to evaluate and ensure widespread adoption of effective prevention strategies.

Presented By

Althea M. Grant, PhD
CDR, U.S. Public Health Service
Chief, Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch
Division of Blood Disorders
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC
“Public Health Importance of Venous Thromboembolism”

Michael B. Streiff, MD, FACP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Medical Director, Johns Hopkins Anticoagulation Management Service
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
“Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): The Johns Hopkins VTE Collaborative”

P. Jeffrey Brady, MD, MPH
CPT, U.S. Public Health Service
Associate Director, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
“Patient Safety and Prevention of Hospital-Associated Venous Thromboembolism”

Facilitated By

Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD, Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds
John Iskander, MD, MPH, Deputy Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds
Susan Laird, MSN, RN, Communications Manager, Public Health Grand Rounds