Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in Hospitalized Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Background As would be expected with a hypercoagulable state, pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs in sickle cell disease (SCD). Its frequency, however, is undetermined, largely because of difficulties in distinguishing it from thrombosis in situ. The prevalence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is also undetermined in patients with SCD. Knowing the prevalence of DVT would be an important step in the overall assessment of the risk of PE in these patients. Methods Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey were assessed. Results In patients