Venous Thromboembolism in HIV-Infected Patients

Multiple studies have suggested that HIV-infected patients are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), perhaps because of comorbidities or hypercoagulability. To determine which HIV-infected patients are at highest risk for VTE, investigators conducted a case-control study using data from the Johns Hopkins University AIDS Service cohort.

The researchers identified 160 cases of VTE in the cohort, yielding an incidence of 0.54% per patient-year. The most common events were deep venous thromboses (DVTs; 109 events) and pulmonary emboli (39 events). Thirty percent of DVTs were in the upper extremity. The strongest risk factor for VTE was hospitalization during the preceding 3 months (adjusted odds ratio, 13.0; 95% confidence interval…