VTE risk up for children with inflammatory bowel disease

(HealthDay)—Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a study published online June 27 in the Journal of Crohn's & Colitis.

M. Ellen Kuenzig, Ph.D., from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and colleagues reported the incidence of VTE among children with and without IBD. Children younger than 16 years of age with IBD were identified using validated algorithms and were compared to age- and sex-matched children without IBD. Hospitalizations for VTE were identified within five years of IBD diagnosis.

The researchers found that the five-year incidence of VTE was 31.2 per 10,000 person-years among the 3,593 children with IBD compared with 0.8 per 10,000 person-years among 16,289 children without IBD (unadjusted incidence rate ratio, 38.84; adjusted hazard ratio, 22.91). VTE occurred less often in children with Crohn disease than among those with ulcerative colitis (unadjusted incidence rate ratio, 0.47; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.52). Similar findings were seen for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

"Future research should assess the risks and benefits of thromboprophylaxis in this population, as well as identify patients at greatest risk based on clinical, biological, and demographic criteria with the goal of informing clinical practice guidelines on the use of VTE prophylaxis in pediatric IBD," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.