Inferior vena cava filters are linked to a higher death rate among the very people they’re supposed to help, according to a Reuters story.
The story cites a March presentation given at the annual scientific meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology.
Researchers reviewed medical data on more than eight million people with deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in one of the deeper veins) and pulmonary embolism (a dislodged blood clot that’s traveled to the lungs). They found that in-hospital mortality rates were 7.11 percent for patients who received with IVC filters, compared to 4.27 percent for those who didn’t receive them.
IVC filters are implanted in the inferior vena cava, which is the major vein that leads from the legs to the right side of the heart. It’s meant to catch and stop blood clots moving through the blood stream toward the lungs.
But the filters themselves can be dangerous.
A study conducted by the New England Society for Vascular Surgery found a 31 percent fracture rate in IVC filters. Most of the broken filter shards ended up in patients’ right ventricles of the heart, which is potentially deadly.
The Reuters report quotes Dr. Jeremy Friese, a radiologist who led the study at the Mayo Clinic, as saying: “Among all patients with PE or DVT, those that had a filter placed were more likely to die while hospitalized relative to those that did not get a filter.”
If you’ve received an IVC filter, you should consult with a doctor if you have any ongoing symptoms or health concerns. If you have significant injuries, you should also consult with a IVC filter lawyer to discuss your legal rights.
See the story here:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761311
