Keywords:
Interventional vascular, Veins / Vena cava, Vascular, Catheter venography, Audit and standards, Filter insertions, Removal, Embolism / Thrombosis, Outcomes
Authors:
J.-Y. Kowa, B. Hawthorn, R. Das, M. Gonsalves, S. M. Ameli, L. Ratnam; London/UK
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-1813
Methods and materials
Patient population:
Data retrospectively collected on all patients referred for IVC filter insertion within a 2.5 year period (January 2015 to July 2017).
These cases were followed up until the filter was retrieved,
or for a minimum period of 6 months post-insertion.
Exclusion criteria - requests cancelled/rejected by radiology,
patients deceased before filter insertion.
Data acquisition:
- Patient demographics: age,
sex,
referring specialty
- Retrieval: retrieval rates,
time to retrieval,
associated complications
- Non-retrieval: non-retrieval rates,
underlying reasons,
cases lost to follow-up
- Booking of retrieval date
The above information was collated from radiological reports on the hospital's radiology information system (Radiology+,
Soliton IT,
UK).
In cases of non-retrieval,
letters on the electronic patient records (EPR) system were reviewed to establish if there was a clinical plan for permanent filtration.
Where patients were repatriated to district general hospitals with filter in-situ,
requests submitted through an image exchange portal (IEP,
Sectra AB,
Sweden) provided information on whether subsequent filter retrieval had been performed.