provoked and unprovoked DVT

Q: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after hospitalization is considered? (select one)

A) provoked DVT
B) unprovoked DVT


Answer: A

To simplify and stratify the treatment of DVT, nomenclatures have been designated to DVTs. It includes provoked, unprovoked, symptomatic, asymptomatic, proximal, or distal. 

Describing indications of treatment in each category is beyond the scope of this site but the objective of this question is to highlight the fallacy of common practice in ICU or hospitals to call incidental findings in hospitalized patients as unprovoked DVT. Hospitalization, surgery, pregnancy, malignancy, estrogen treatment, CHF, inflammatory bowel diseases are some examples of provoked DVT.

#hematology
#nomenclature


Reference:

1. Kearon C, Ageno W, Cannegieter SC, Cosmi B, Geersing GJ, Kyrle PA; Subcommittees on Control of Anticoagulation, and Predictive and Diagnostic Variables in Thrombotic Disease. Categorization of patients as having provoked or unprovoked venous thromboembolism: guidance from the SSC of ISTH.J Thromb Haemost. 2016; 14:1480–1483. doi: 10.1111/jth.13336

2. Tritschler T, Wells PS. Extended therapy for unprovoked venous thromboembolism: when is it indicated?. Blood Adv. 2019;3(3):499. doi:10.1182/bloodadvances.2018026518