Vena caval filters provide an important alternative therapeutic and prophylactic strategy for venous thromboembolism in patients with contraindications to or complications from standard anticoagulation.
Supports vena caval filters for VTE when anticoagulation is contraindicated; leaves open need for prospective trials.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are important, and not infrequent, causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Anticoagulation remains the treatment of choice for DVT and PE, but contraindications to, and complications from, anticoagulant therapy mandate the availability of alternate therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. The recent availability of safe and effective vena caval filters that can be inserted via a minimally invasive percutaneous approach has expanded the indications for, and acceptance of, these devices in selected patients at high risk for the development of PE. This article reviews both the established and the evolving indications for vena caval filters and discusses how improvements in filter design may impact future use.
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Jacobs et al. (2003) studied this question.
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