DALLAS - Researchers at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas participated recently in a landmark study that sheds light on how best to assess and treat hospital patients for a potentially deadly-type of blood clot.

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is the only North Texas hospital and one of only three in Texas to participate in the study, which appeared in the journal The Lancet.

Called the ENDORSE trial, the study looked at 68,000 patients in more than 350 hospitals in 32 countries. Researchers found that almost half of hospitalized patients are at risk for developing of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which causes deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the leg or pelvis) and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the arteries leading from the heart to the lungs).

"In addition to shedding light on the risk for the condition, the research shows that preventative measures, which have been shown to be effective, aren't utilized enough," said Tammy Chung, Pharm.D., a critical care and cardiovascular pharmacologist at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. "Hospitals in the United States are slightly better than other countries, but there is still huge room for improvement."

At Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, patients are assessed for VTE risk and appropriate measures are taken for those determined to be at high risk.

According to the paper, non-surgical patients participating in the study were less likely to receive proper assessment and preventative treatments for VTE than surgical patients. Chung added that the study revealed even more room for improvement among U.S. hospitals when they were rated against hospitals in European countries and other nations with comparable health systems.

Researchers say they hope the findings convince more hospitals to implement strategies to assess all patients for VTE risk and to take appropriate action to prevent the condition.

"Preventing venous thromboembolism involves simple, inexpensive steps that all hospitals around the world should implement," said researcher Dr. Gary Weinstein, a pulmonologist on the medical staff at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and medical director of critical care medicine. "That's the good news: This research further shows that we have the tools to accurately predict who is at risk for VTE, which can help us better prevent it."

Dr. Mark Feldman, chairman of internal medicine and medical director of research at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, served as the principal investigator for the ENDORSE trial at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

"The significance of this paper is that complications can be reduced if hospitals implement these steps," he said. "That could lessen how long people are in the hospital, reduce mortality and improve outcomes."

Denise Stamos, R.N., director of research at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, also participated in the project, along with her team of research coordinators who collected data for the trial. The ENDORSE trial (Epidemiologic International Day for the Evaluation of Patients at Risk of Venous Thrombosis in the Acute Hospital Care Setting) was a multinational, observational, cross-sectional survey led by researchers at King's College Hospital in London.

Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas enrolled 263 patients in the study.

About Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
Established in 1966, PHD is the flagship hospital of Presbyterian Healthcare System, a member of the faith-based, nonprofit Texas Health Resources system. US News and World Report ranks PHD, a recognized clinical program leader, providing technologically advanced care to patients, among the nation's best hospitals in digestive disorders, orthopedics, and neurology and neurosurgery. The 866-bed facility has approximately 4,000 employees and an active medical staff of more than 1,000 physicians. For more information about PHD, visit http://www.phscare.org/.

About Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources is one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health care delivery systems in the United States and the largest in North Texas in terms of patients served. THR controls 13 affiliated hospitals and a medical research organization, and is a corporate member or partner in seven additional hospitals and surgery centers. THR's family of hospitals includes Harris Methodist Hospitals, Arlington Memorial Hospital and Presbyterian Healthcare System. For more information about Texas Health Resources, visit http://www.texashealth.org/.

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