Deep Venous Thrombosis in Assir Region of Saudi Arabia Case-Control Study

Abstract

In a five-year case-control study (1988 to 1993) at Assir Central Hospital (ACH), Abha (8,000 feet above sea level), Saudi Arabia, 92 of 129 patients suspected of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) were studied with ascending contrast venography (CV) (74 patients, 80.4%) or Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) (18 patients, 19.6%). Female-to-male ratio was 2.3 to 1. Age range of patients was twelve to ninety years; mean age was 44.45 yrs ±17.38 years. DVT hospital incidence was 18 per 10,000 admissions.

The most common associated factors included immobilization due to chronic diseases (21.7%), trauma and surgery (19.6%), and pregnancy and oral contraceptives usage (16.3%). The most common symptom and sign were limb pain and tenderness (95.6%). Limb swelling was noted in 93.5% of patients. The left lower limb was more commonly affected than the right. There was a definite increase of DVT during the winter months. Altitude was not a contributory factor. Pulmonary embolism was the greatest complication.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

McLachlin J. , Paterson JC : Some basic observations on venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Surg Gynecol Obstet 93:1-7, 1951.

Gibbs NM : Venous thrombosis of the lower limbs with particular reference to bed-rest . Br J Surg 45:209-236, 1957.

Sevitt S. , Gallagher NG : Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: A clinico-pathological study in injured and burned patients. Br J Surg 48:475-489, 1961.

Hunter WC , Sneeden VD , Robertson TD , et al: Thrombosis of deep veins of the leg: Its clinical significance as exemplified by three hundred and fifty-one autopsies. Arch Intern Med 68:1-17, 1941.

Rockley CV , Jones Drb , Maclntyre Imc , et al: The relationship between 1251-fibrinogen detected thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (abstract). Proc 5th Congr Int Soc Thromb Haemost (Paris) 34:565, 1975.

International Multicentre Trial: Prevention of fatal postoperative pulmonary embolism by low doses of heparin. Lancet 2:45-51, 1975.

Morrell MT , Junnill MS : Post-mortem incidence of pulmonary embolism in a hospital population. Br J Surg 55:347-352, 1968.

Coon WW , Willis PW , Keller JB : Venous thromboembolism and other venous disease in the Tecumseh Community Health Study. Circulation 48:839-846, 1973.

Kakkar VV , Howe CT , Nicholaides AN , et al: Deep vein thrombosis of the leg: Is there a high risk group? Am J Surg 120:527-530, 1970.

10.

Liam CK , Ng SC : A review of patients with deep vein thrombosis diagnosed at University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. Ann Cad Med Singapore 19:837-840, 1990.

11.

Warlow C. , Ogsten D. , Douglas AS : Deep vein thrombosis of the legs after strokes. Br Med J 1:1178-1183, 1976.

12.

White NW : Venous thrombosis and rifampicin. Lancet 2:434-435, 1989.