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Review | Open Access
Venous Thromboembolism in Cirrhosis: A Review of the Literature
Michelle Buresi,1 Russell Hull,2 and Carla S Coffin
11Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
2Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Abstract
Although hemorrhage has traditionally been regarded as the most significant hemostatic complication of liver disease, there is increasing recognition that hypercoagulability is a prominent aspect of cirrhosis. Identifying markers of coagulability and monitoring anticoagulation therapy in the setting of cirrhosis is problematic. The bleeding risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis and treatment in patients with chronic liver disease is unclear and there are currently no recommendations to guide practice in this regard. In the present report, the mechanism of coagulation disturbance in chronic liver disease is reviewed with an examination of the evidence for an increased VTE risk in cirrhosis. Finally, the available evidence is assessed for prophylaxis and therapy of VTE in chronic liver disease, and the role it may play in decreasing clinical decompensation and improving survival.
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
