Epitec - Epidemiology of ThromboEmbolism in Critical care

Blood clots that develop in veins of the legs or arms because of serious illness and inactivity may break off and travel to arteries in the lungs. Lung clots are extremely dangerous and are a leading cause of hospital death worldwide. The most seriously ill hospitalized patients on life support in the intensive care unit are at particularly high risk of developing clots. Early small studies suggested that blood clots increase dependence on life support and time in hospital, decreasing the chance of survival. In the Epidemiology of Thromboembolism In Critical care Study EPITEC, we will carefully examine two key problems occurring in medical and surgical patients: risk factors for these clots, and consequences of these clots. Risk factors for clot development may relate to new or established conditions which can not be changed, or may relate to interventions used in the ICU which can be modified. Knowledge about risk factors that can be modified will help to identify patients who require increased attention and possibly additional measures to prevent, diagnose and treat clots. Knowing about these risk factors will also point out ways to change practice, so the overall chance of developing blood clots can be reduced. EPITEC will also carefully analyze the true impact of blood clots in the largest group of critically ill patients ever investigated, by considering the effect of many new and chronic conditions and recent procedures. This study will be done by Canadas leading critical care research group (the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group), alongside a large high quality ongoing international trial on blood clot prevention, which allows us to take advantage of some existing information, personnel and resources. Doing EPITEC this way means quicker, more cost-effective creation of important new knowledge about this potentially life-threatening problem. Ultimately, EPITEC will tell us why these blood clots occur and how they can best be prevented, diagnosed and treated