Abstract
Introduction
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)) are considered among the commonest gastrointestinal (GI) tract diseases manifesting with chronic, recurring episodes of gut inflammation, especially in the colon. Each disease has its pattern, symptoms, severity of pain, extension, management, and prognosis. However, these diseases share most of the various complications, including the GI tract and extending it to other systems such as musculoskeletal, skin, liver, and pulmonary systems.
Objectives
We aim to identify the demographic data, prevalence, risk factors, clinical presentation, and management (medications given and investigations ordered) of thromboembolic events (TEE) among inflammatory bowel disease patients at King Fahad Specialist Hospital (KFSH) in Buraydah, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
Materials and methods
This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. All included patients with IBD who meet the inclusion criteria between January 2020 and January 2022 in KFSH were reviewed, and data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results
A total of 187 participants were included in the current study. The mean age of the participants ± standard deviation (SD) was 28.7 ± 10.8 years old. Of the participants, 107 (57.2%) were males. A total of 121 (64.7%) participants were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (CD), 56 (29.9%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 10 (5.3%) with both CD and UC. In 156 (83%) participants, the duration of the disease was 1-5 years. Among the IBD patients, two (1.1%) had TEE in the interval resolution middle and left portal vein, as well as the inferior mesenteric vein. The majority of the participants (73.3%) were with no history of comorbid conditions. The most reported clinical symptoms were chest pain as reported by 3.2% of the participants. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was the most reported method of diagnosis as reported by 35.8% of the participants. Of the participants, 8.6% used heparin prophylactically, 0.5% used heparin as a treatment, and 0.5% used enoxaparin as a treatment. Moreover, 20.3% of the participants used prophylactic treatment, whereas about 79.7% did not use prophylactic treatment. Old age, extensive disease, colorectal surgery, and pregnancy were not found to be associated with thromboembolic events (p = 1.000, 0.400, 0.164, and 0.053, respectively). Age, gender, and nationality were not significantly associated with thromboembolic events (p = 0.915, 1.000, and 1.000, respectively).
Conclusion
Despite IBD being one of the emerging health concerns in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, records showed that the prevalence of thromboembolic events was found to be lower when compared to the prevalence reported in the relevant multinational studies. The was no difference in factors affecting the development of thromboembolic events between IBD patients and the general population.
Recommendations
We should stress raising awareness of IBD patients about their condition, the increased risks of developing thromboembolic events, and the proper prevention methods.