Management of Venous Thromboembolism in Routine Clinical Practice - Results from the Global GARFIELD-VTE Registry

Scientific Research Question: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), encompassing both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Anticoagulant therapy is the mainstay of VTE treatment. The treatment of VTE has evolved with the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), but observational studies are needed to understand the extent of their use for VTE treatment and their impact on clinical outcomes. The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field (GARFIELD)-VTE is a global registry designed to observe the initial and extended treatment and clinical outcomes of VTE patients treated according to local standard practices. The aim of the GARFIELD-VTE symposium is to present the initial treatment patterns and six month clinical outcomes in VTE patients enrolled in the GARFIELD-VTE registry.

Methodology: 10,685 patients with objectively diagnosed DVT and/or PE were enrolled at 418 sites in 28 countries from May 2014 to January 2017. Appropriate statistical methods were applied to analyze the various treatment patterns and six month clinical outcomes.

Findings: Although DOACs are widely used with or without a parenteral anticoagulant lead-in, the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) persists in many countries. Treatments differ across sub-groups of patients and geographical areas. Six month clinical outcomes will be reported at the GARFIELD-VTE symposium as will the impact of treatment with DOACs or VKAs. Clinical outcomes in patients with PE, upper or lower limb DVT, isolated distal DVT and those with active cancer or a history of cancer will be presented.

Conclusions: The GARFIELD-VTE registry reveals that VTE treatment patters vary geographically and differ across subpopulations of patients.

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author(s).