Table 2.
Clinical and Pathological Features of Thromboembolic Disease in Sequential Autopsies (n = 26)
| Age Range, yrs | Sex | Prior Indication | Type of Anticoagulation | Time From Admission to Death, days | Duration of Anticoagulation | Type (Therapeutic/Prophylactic/None) | Bleeding | Pulmonary Embolism | Microthrombi∗ | Suspicion of Thrombosis Before Autopsy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50–59 | M | NA | UFH | 9 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | × | No | |
| 80–89 | F | NA | UFH | 11 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | No | ||
| 60–69 | M | Atrial fibrillation | DOACs | 4 | Whole admission | Therapeutic | × | No | ||
| <50 | M | NA | LMWH | 6 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | × | No | |
| 60–69 | F | NA | None | 0 | NA | None | No | |||
| 30–39 | M | NA | LMWH | 7 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 80–89 | F | NA | UFH | 10 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | No | ||
| 70–79 | M | NA | LMWH | 10 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| <50 | M | NA | None | 0 | NA | None | No | |||
| 80–89 | M | NA | None | 0 | NA | None | No | |||
| 70–79 | M | Atrial fibrillation | Warfarin | 1 | Whole admission | Therapeutic | Retro-peritoneal | No | ||
| <50 | F | NA | UFH | 3 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 80–89 | F | NA | UFH | 1 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 70–79 | M | Deep venous thrombosis | DOACs | 1 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | No | ||
| 50–59 | M | NA | UFH | 4 | 1 day | Subtherapeutic† | × | No | ||
| 50–59 | M | NA | UFH, LMWH | 5 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 60–69 | M | NA | None | 1 | — | None | × | No | ||
| 50–59 | M | NA | UFH, LMWH | 5 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 70–79 | F | NA | LMWH | 6 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 50–59 | F | NA | UFH | 4 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | × | No | ||
| 70–79 | F | Atrial fibrillation | DOACs | 5 | Whole admission | Therapeutic | No | |||
| 50–59 | F | NA | UFH, LMWH | 15 | 2 days | Therapeutic | No | |||
| 80–89 | F | NA | LMWH | 10 | Whole admission | Prophylactic | No | |||
| 70–79 | M | NA | UFH | 9 | Whole admission | Therapeutic | No | |||
| 60–69 | M | NA | UFH | 22 | 5 days | Therapeutic | × | No | ||
| <50 | M | NA | UFH | 11 | 1 day | Subtherapeutic† | × | Yes |
DOAC = direct oral anticoagulant; LMWH = low molecular weight heparin; NA = not applicable; UFH= unfractionated heparin.
∗
Organs assessed for microthrombi in hematoxylin and eosin include heart (found in 4 of 26), kidneys (found in 2 of 26), liver (found in 1 of 26), lymph nodes (found in 2 of 26) and brain (found in 2 of 26). Microthrombi in the lungs are normally seen as part of diffuse alveolar damage and are discussed separately (see Results and Discussion sections).
†
Anticoagulation in this case was intended to be therapeutic; however, PTT never reached the therapeutic range.