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This year alone, more than 100,000 Americans will die of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) complications, a number too high for a preventable illness, according to Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, who visited BWH last week to call for action to prevent DVT and PE.
Galson was the keynote speaker of the Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism Symposium at BWH Jan. 30. The event, which drew more than 300 medical professionals, patients and friends of BWH, was co-sponsored by BWH and nonprofit organization North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF).
During the event, Galson called DVT and PE the most common preventable illness that occurs in U.S. hospitals. He specifically cited and commended the work BWH researchers and clinicians do to treat and diagnose patients with DVT and PE, which are venous blood clots caused by medical illness, cancer, trauma, surgery, obesity, cigarette smoking, pregnancy and birth control pills, among other causes. These clots usually form in the legs and can break off and travel through the heart into the lung arteries, where they can be fatal. The surgeon general estimates that about half a million cases of DVT and PE occur each year in the United States.
During the symposium, BWH clinician leaders spoke about the history of venous thrombosis, its biology and diagnosis and an array of treatments that BWH investigators have pioneered or improved, including clot removal through catheters and open heart surgery. Galson also praised BWH’s electronic alert system implemented to prevent DVT and PE from developing in the hospital setting.
“I believe here at BWH, we continue to make a difference by improving the lives of patients each day, but our work is not done,” said Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD, director of BWH Venous Thromboembolism Research Group and senior staff member of the Cardiovascular Medicine Division and NATF president. He spoke about BWH’s team approach to treatment and its commitment to a multidisciplinary team model. “The surgeon general’s call to action for thrombosis prevention is a tremendous step forward, since public policy and patient advocacy are key ingredients to catalyzing innovations in this important field.”
For more information on DVT and PE, visit www.natfonline.org.