Venous Thromboembolism: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Prophylaxis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are the most common clinical manifestations of venous thromboembolism (VTE), and are considered as a single disease entity. Predisposing factors for VTE can be identified among individual characteristics, disease‐related conditions, and physiologic states. Hospitalized patients often have one or more risk factors that place them at increased risk of VTE. Because this is a highly preventable disease, this risk should be always evaluated and the patients stratified in order to identify those who need primary prophylaxis. Different pharmacological and physical methods have been approved and are recommended for specific clinical situations. In symptomatic patients, the diagnosis of both DVT and PE should start from a formal assessment of pre‐test clinical probability (PTP) using a validated score. Depending on the value of PTP, a D‐dimer assay and/or an imaging test should be performed to make a definite diagnosis.