Predictive Factors for Major Bleeding Risk in Patients Admitted in a Palliative Care Unit

Even if most patients in palliative care units presented with well-recognized risks factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) (eg: active cancer, bed rest, previous history of venous thrombosis), the incidence of VTE in palliative setting is unknown. By consequence, the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic prophylaxis in such a population is not established. Indeed, patients admitted in palliative care units were not included in trials evaluating the potential effect of antithrombotic drugs in regard to their poor prognosis at short term. In addition, the main role of prophylaxis is to prevent sudden death from pulmonary emboli and is thus a life prolonging therapy which is viewed as counterintuitive to palliative care philosophy and inappropriate on grounds of futility. Nevertheless, the current use of Low Molecular Weight Heparin in palliative care units seems to increase particularly in patients with advanced malignancy. The identification of high hemorrhagic risks in palliative care patients could help the decision of antithrombotic prophylaxis initiation. For this, the investigators conducted a multicenter prospective longitudinal study.