To the editor

On October 15, 2022, the IX Scientific Conference entitled “Venous thromboembolism: an underestimated problem” took place in Warsaw in a hybrid form. It attracted a total of 366 participants—320 online and 46 on-site. The conference has been organized annually since 2014, when the World Thrombosis Day was established by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH). It is celebrated on October 13, the birthday anniversary of Rudolf Virchow, who pioneered the research into the pathogenesis of thrombosis and contributed to our better understanding of this condition.

Our aim is to increase the awareness of thrombosis, highlighting its significance, risks, as well as signs and symptoms. Thrombosis is still misunderstood and often overlooked by clinicians. Worldwide, 1 in 4 people die from conditions caused by thrombosis. Early identification of an at-risk patient facilitates diagnosis and treatment, which can often lead to recovery. Pulmonary embolism, when left untreated, is associated with a mortality rate of up to 30%, but when treated early, the mortality rate drops to 8%. It is necessary to highlight the burden of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which has serious health consequences if undiagnosed for a long time and insufficiently treated. VTE may also occur at unusual and often critical locations, for example, in the intracerebral, retinal, or intra-abdominal venous circulation, and can result from a variety of inherited or acquired prothrombotic states. Thrombosis is still the main cause of death in compound-mediated disorders, for example, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Thrombosis constitutes a dilemma in pregnant women. To assess the risk of thrombosis during pregnancy and to introduce preventive measures, and sometimes treatment, a gynecologist should have adequate knowledge and experience. In addition, an active cooperation with a hematologist is needed. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about new challenges in the diagnosis of thrombotic complications and antithrombotic treatment of this disease. Finally, the choice of an anticoagulant regimen is important and may be difficult, especially in older patients with comorbidities, such as cancer or renal failure.

During the IX Scientific Conference, numerous important topics related to thrombosis were presented and discussed by specialists in hematology, cardiology, and gynecology. All lectures are available on the educational platform run by the Group for Hemostasis of the Polish Society of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (hemostasis.edu.pl).

Conference program

1 When to consider thromboprophylaxis in pregnancy – Marzena Dębska

2 Complement system inhibition reduces the risk of thrombosis: insights from cases with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) – Maria Podolak-Dawidziak

3 2022 ISTH updates – Magdalena Łętowska

4 Secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism: target patients, the choice of medication, and duration of treatment in the era of DOACs – Anetta Undas

5 Different faces of thrombosis—iTTP – Jerzy Windyga

6 Thrombosis in unusual sites – Jacek Treliński

7 Antithrombotic treatment in patients with COVID-19: 2022 ISTH guidelines – Jacek Musiał

8 Management of patients after acute pulmonary embolism: 2022 ESC guidelines – Piotr Pruszczyk

Information on the previous Scientific Conferences held by the Group for Hemostasis of the Polish Society of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine can also be found in Polish Archives of Internal Medicine,1,2 which actively supports this valuable initiative to reduce thrombosis-related morbidity and mortality.