Dimitrios Scarvelis

• University of Ottawa

Introduction: Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) is a frequent complication of central venous catheters in cancer patients. Anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for a minimum of 3 months is the currently recommended treatment for catheter-related UEDVT in cancer patients. Following catheter removal and a minimum of thr...

Controversy exists whether low-dose vitamin K supplementation can improve anticoagulation control in patients with unstable anticoagulation under warfarin. In a single- centre randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we evaluated the effectiveness of 200μg/day of vitamin K1 in patients with unstable control under warfarin. Effectiveness...

After a first unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE), many patients have residual pulmonary and/or lower limb vascular obstruction following completion of short-term anticoagulation. Residual vascular obstruction may complicate the diagnosis of recurrent VTE. Whether baseline imaging, conducted after completion of anticoagulation, helps in interpr...

3125 Poster Board III-62 VTE is the most frequent complication of OS and it can be prevented through anticoagulant prophylaxis. Numerous studies have evaluated different agents for this purpose and there are new agents currently under development or recently approved for this indication. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled tri...

D-dimer testing is widely used in conjunction with clinical pretest probability (PTP) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) exclusion. We report on a multicenter evaluation of a new, automated, latex enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay [HemosIL D-Dimer HS 500, Instrumentation Laboratory (IL)]. 747 consecutive outpatients with suspected proximal deep vein...

Mortality rates due to pulmonary embolism (PE) are difficult to estimate often due to the presence of comorbid disease. To determine the accuracy of hospital records in identifying PE cases, PE-related mortality, and the number of PE-related deaths which are potentially preventable. Retrospective chart review of PE cases hospitalized at The Ottawa...

AC proph after OS results in a decrease in the incidence of VTE with an associated increase in the risk of major bleeding (MB). Several AC agents and schedules are used; however the optimal timing of initiation has not been determined. It is likely that the proximity to the time of surgery might influence both the efficacy and safety of the AC thus...

Genetic factors are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A common variant of factor XIII (FXIII), FXIII Val34Leu, may be protective against developing an AMI, but various studies show conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether the FXIII Val34Leu variant is associated with a decr...

Major VTE is the most frequent complication of OS. Current recommendations are to administer prophylaxis with an anticoagulant agent for at least 7–10 days. Numerous studies have evaluated different agents for this purpose. Although the most recent studies are usually methodologically sound, several studies have been hampered by inappropriate desig...

Background: Many hospitalized patients with PE die. A large registry study described a mortality rate of 17.4% in patients with PE and suggested 45% of these deaths were due to the PE. Data on death and PE is usually derived retrospectively from hospital databases without chart confirmation and to our knowledge no study has attempted to determine t...

Deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common condition that can lead to complications such as postphlebitic syndrome, pulmonary embolism and death. The approach to the diagnosis of DVT has evolved over the years. Currently an algorithm strategy combining pretest probability, D-dimer testing and compression ultrasound imaging allows for safe and convenien...

It has been suggested that a G-to-T transition in exon 2 of the factor XIIIA gene resulting in a substitution of leucine for valine at amino acid 34 (FXIII Val34Leu) protects against venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the evidence to date is insufficient to incorporate testing for the FXIII Val34Leu variant into clinical practice. To determine...

Genetic factors involving blood coagulation are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. A common polymorphism of Factor XIII, Factor XIII Val34Leu, may be protective against developing an acute myocardial infarction, but various studies show conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether the Facto...

Controversy over whether the factor XIII Val34Leu polymorphism confers protection against venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a persistent debate in the current thrombosis literature. If an accurate estimate of the protective effect were established, routine screening for this mutation in patients with VTE could provide more precise individual risk-pro...

A case of a woman who had tricuspid valve bacterial endocarditis is presented. Her course was complicated by persistent disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute renal failure, followed by pulmonary embolization of the vegetation. Transthoracic echocardiography showed almost complete obstruction of the right pulmonary artery. The case demons...

DEAD-box genes are found throughout evolution and encode RNA-binding proteins. Such proteins include eukaryotic initiation factor-4A, which is essential for protein translation, Vasa, which is essential for germ line development, and a number of nuclear and mitochondrial RNA splicing factors. Transcription of a human DEAD-box gene, DDX1, is elevate...