The 2016 American College of Chest Physicians treatment guidelines for venous thromboembolism: a review and critical appraisal

The American College of Chest Physicians recently updated their practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with venous thromboembolism, comprising deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The 2016 guidelines represent the tenth iteration of these guidelines, which are widely used, and are considered as the reference standard for practice guidelines related to venous thromboembolism. The objectives of this review are to highlight the key recommendations that are new in these guidelines, to address recommendations that may be considered controversial, and to touch on areas of ongoing research that may better inform some of these recommendations.