Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-COV2 are currently considered at high risk of developing thromboembolic complications in both venous and arterial vessels. The use of anticoagulants for preventive or curative purposes should be considered to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events. We report a case of a patient with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome who consecutively developed a right femoral deep vein thrombosis related to the femoral central line and acute ischemia of the left upper limb related to a radial arterial line. He was under a therapeutic dose of low molecular weight heparin twice a day three days before. The femoral vein was free of thrombosis while the central line was placed under a duplex ultrasound. Thromboembolic events can occur in patients with severe COVID-19 despite therapeutic anticoagulants. Close monitoring of vascular access with duplex ultrasound may be required.

IntroductionPrimary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired immunemediated disorder characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia, defined as a peripheral blood platelet count less than 100 ϫ 10 9 /L, and the absence of any obvious initiating and/or underlying cause of the thrombocytopenia. 1 Until recently, the abbreviation ITP stood for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, but current awareness relating to the immune-mediated nature of the disease, and the absence or minimal signs of bleeding in a large proportion of cases have led to a revision of the terminology. 1 Concepts surrounding the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia in ITP have shifted from the traditional view of increased platelet destruction mediated by autoantibodies to more complex mechanisms in which both impaired platelet production and T cell-mediated effects play a role. [2][3][4][5][6] Recent epidemiologic data suggest that the incidence in adults is approximately equal for the sexes except in the mid-adult years (30-60 years), when the disease is more prevalent in women. 7,8 ITP is classified by duration into newly diagnosed, persistent (3-12 months' duration) and chronic (Ն 12 months' duration). 1 Whereas ITP in adults typically has an insidious onset with no preceding viral or other illness and it normally follows a chronic course, 9 ITP in children is usually short-lived with at least two-thirds recovering spontaneously within 6 months. 10 Signs and symptoms vary widely. Many patients have either no symptoms or minimal bruising, whereas others experience serious bleeding, which may include gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GI), extensive skin and mucosal hemorrhage, or intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The severity of thrombocytopenia correlates to some extent but not completely with the bleeding risk. 7,11 Additional factors (eg, age, lifestyle factors, uremia) affect the risk and should be evaluated before the appropriate management is determined.The investigation and management of ITP patients vary widely. The purpose of this consensus document is to comment on new data and provide recommendations relating to diagnosis and treatment. Final judgment regarding care of individual patients should, however, lie with the responsible health care professional and be based on careful investigation of individual circumstances. MethodsComposition of the panel. The panel included 22 members with recognized clinical and research expertise in ITP representing North America (United States, 7; Canada, 1), Europe (France, 1; Italy, 2; Spain, 1; Switzerland, 1; United Kingdom, 8), and Australia (1).Assessment of the literature. Articles were identified by a computer-assisted search of the literature published in English using the National Library of Medicine PubMed database. The For personal use only. on May 7, 2018. by guest www.bloodjournal.org From search criteria were: 'immune thrombocytopenic purpura', 'idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura', 'ITP', and 'autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura'. A subsequent search was performed using the corresponding MedLin...

Background: Severe traumatic injury continues to present challenges to healthcare systems around the world, and post-traumatic bleeding remains a leading cause of potentially preventable death among injured patients. Now in its fifth edition, this document aims to provide guidance on the management of major bleeding and coagulopathy following traumatic injury and encourages adaptation of the guiding principles described here to individual institutional circumstances and resources. Methods: The pan-European, multidisciplinary Task Force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma was founded in 2004, and the current author group included representatives of six relevant European professional societies. The group applied a structured, evidence-based consensus approach to address scientific queries that served as the basis for each recommendation and supporting rationale. Expert opinion and current clinical practice were also considered, particularly in areas in which randomised clinical trials have not or cannot be performed. Existing recommendations were reexamined and revised based on scientific evidence that has emerged since the previous edition and observed shifts in clinical practice. New recommendations were formulated to reflect current clinical concerns and areas in which new research data have been generated. Results: Advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of post-traumatic coagulopathy have supported improved management strategies, including evidence that early, individualised goal-directed treatment improves the outcome of severely injured patients. The overall organisation of the current guideline has been designed to reflect the clinical decision-making process along the patient pathway in an approximate temporal sequence. Recommendations are grouped behind the rationale for key decision points, which are patient-or problem-oriented rather than related to specific treatment modalities. While these recommendations provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of major bleeding and coagulopathy, emerging evidence supports the author group's belief that the greatest outcome improvement can be achieved through education and the establishment of and adherence to local clinical management algorithms. Conclusions: A multidisciplinary approach and adherence to evidence-based guidance are key to improving patient outcomes. If incorporated into local practice, these clinical practice guidelines have the potential to ensure a uniform standard of care across Europe and beyond and better outcomes for the severely bleeding trauma patient.

The guideline group was selected to be representative of UKbased medical experts. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched systematically for publications in English, using the keywords: thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP), AD-AMTS13, plasma exchange (PEX) and relevant key words related to the subsections of this guideline. The writing group produced the draft guideline, which was subsequently revised by consensus by members of the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Task Force of the BCSH. The guideline was then reviewed by a sounding board of British haematologists, the BCSH and the British Society for Haematology

The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organization, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). 1,2 Cardiovascular disease and, in particular, venous thromboembolism (VTE), has emerged as an important consideration in the management of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The diagnosis of VTE using standardized objective testing is problematic in these patients, given the risk of infecting non-COVID-19 hospitalized patients and hospital personnel, coupled with the usual challenges of performing diagnostic testing in critically ill patients.Early reports suggest a high incidence of VTE in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, particularly those with severe illness, that is similar to the high VTE rates observed in patients with other viral pneumonias, including severe acute respiratory syndrome

BackgroundSevere trauma continues to represent a global public health issue and mortality and morbidity in trauma patients remains substantial. A number of initiatives have aimed to provide guidance on the management of trauma patients. This document focuses on the management of major bleeding and coagulopathy following trauma and encourages adaptation of the guiding principles to each local situation and implementation within each institution.MethodsThe pan-European, multidisciplinary Task Force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma was founded in 2004 and included representatives of six relevant European professional societies. The group used a structured, evidence-based consensus approach to address scientific queries that served as the basis for each recommendation and supporting rationale. Expert opinion and current clinical practice were also considered, particularly in areas in which randomised clinical trials have not or cannot be performed. Existing recommendations were reconsidered and revised based on new scientific evidence and observed shifts in clinical practice; new recommendations were formulated to reflect current clinical concerns and areas in which new research data have been generated. This guideline represents the fourth edition of a document first published in 2007 and updated in 2010 and 2013.ResultsThe guideline now recommends that patients be transferred directly to an appropriate trauma treatment centre and encourages use of a restricted volume replacement strategy during initial resuscitation. Best-practice use of blood products during further resuscitation continues to evolve and should be guided by a goal-directed strategy. The identification and management of patients pre-treated with anticoagulant agents continues to pose a real challenge, despite accumulating experience and awareness. The present guideline should be viewed as an educational aid to improve and standardise the care of the bleeding trauma patients across Europe and beyond. This document may also serve as a basis for local implementation. Furthermore, local quality and safety management systems need to be established to specifically assess key measures of bleeding control and outcome.ConclusionsA multidisciplinary approach and adherence to evidence-based guidance are key to improving patient outcomes. The implementation of locally adapted treatment algorithms should strive to achieve measureable improvements in patient outcome.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-016-1265-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

IntroductionEvidence-based recommendations are needed to guide the acute management of the bleeding trauma patient. When these recommendations are implemented patient outcomes may be improved.MethodsThe multidisciplinary Task Force for Advanced Bleeding Care in Trauma was formed in 2005 with the aim of developing a guideline for the management of bleeding following severe injury. This document represents an updated version of the guideline published by the group in 2007 and updated in 2010. Recommendations were formulated using a nominal group process, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) hierarchy of evidence and based on a systematic review of published literature.ResultsKey changes encompassed in this version of the guideline include new recommendations on the appropriate use of vasopressors and inotropic agents, and reflect an awareness of the growing number of patients in the population at large treated with antiplatelet agents and/or oral anticoagulants. The current guideline also includes recommendations and a discussion of thromboprophylactic strategies for all patients following traumatic injury. The most significant addition is a new section that discusses the need for every institution to develop, implement and adhere to an evidence-based clinical protocol to manage traumatically injured patients. The remaining recommendations have been re-evaluated and graded based on literature published since the last edition of the guideline. Consideration was also given to changes in clinical practice that have taken place during this time period as a result of both new evidence and changes in the general availability of relevant agents and technologies.ConclusionsA comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to trauma care and mechanisms with which to ensure that established protocols are consistently implemented will ensure a uniform and high standard of care across Europe and beyond.Please see related letter by Morel et alhttp://ccforum.com/content/17/4/442

The risk of recurrent thrombosis in patients with the antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome is high. Long-term anticoagulation therapy in which the international normalized ratio is maintained at or above 3 is advisable in these patients.