Family history of venous thromboembolism in the paediatric population: The need for a standardized definition

Abstract

Positive family history is known to be an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolic (VTE) that may or may not reflect an underlying hereditary disorder. However, there is no clear standardized definition of what constitutes a positive family history for VTE in children. We aimed to assess the current published definitions of positive family history as a risk factor for VTE in children and ascertain if any consensus exists. Methods: We conducted a literature review through two major databases PUBMED and EMBASE (1969–June 2018). Three different search statements were used for each database to maximize the number of relevant results, giving rise to 1050 non-duplicated papers. Results: O..