Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing Urges Policies and Prevention To Reduce Deaths from Venous Thromboembolism

Newswise — In a newly-published special supplement, the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing calls for new hospital policies to prevent and treat venous thromboembolism (VTE), a major cause of death and disability in hospitals throughout the world. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is publishing the supplement to bring attention to VTE, a disease that includes both the common medical condition of deep vein thrombosis and its most serious complication, pulmonary embolism, which accounts for 10% of hospital deaths annually. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

“VTE is a major but often unrecognized cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients,” said Barbara Riegel, DNSc, RN, FAAN, Editor of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Professor. “Articles in our supplement call for better adherence to current treatment guidelines and hospital-wide education to better prevent and treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.”

The supplement provides critical analysis and recommendations on improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of venous thromboembolism. Articles, and their lead authors, include:•Venous Thromboembolism: Commentary on Prevention and Treatment, by Geno J. Merli, MD, FACP, FHM•Venous Thromboembolism: A Chronic Illness, by Carol M. Mason, ARNP, CLS, FAHA•Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions for Venous Thromboembolism, by Janet B. Long, MSN, ACNP, CLS, FAHA, FNLA•Venous Thromboembolism: What Is Preventing Achievement of Performance Measures and Consensus Guidelines? by Jane Nelson Worel, MS, APRN-BC, APNP

“Nurses in acute care settings, particularly those working in cardiology, play a critical role in recognizing VTE,” said Riegel. “The supplement seeks to improve VTE awareness and education among our thousands of professional readers.”

About the Journal of Cardiovascular NursingThe Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing is the official journal of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. It is one of the leading journals for advanced practice nurses in cardiovascular care, providing thorough coverage of timely topics and information that is extremely practical for daily, on-the-job use. Each issue addresses the physiologic, psychologic, and social needs of cardiovascular patients and their families in a variety of environments. For more information, go to www.jcnjournal.com.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services.

LWW is a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons®; and electronic information providers, such as Ovid®, UpToDate®, Medi-Span®, and ProVation® Medical.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company. The company provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal, and regulatory sectors. Wolters Kluwer had 2008 annual revenues of €3.4 billion ($4.9 billion), employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 35 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Visit www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

About the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses AssociationThe Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA) is the leading nursing organization dedicated to preventing cardiovascular disease through assessing risk, facilitating lifestyle changes, and guiding individuals to achieve treatment goals. PCNA is well established with 2,200 members seeing over 2,000,000 new patients per year. Members promote comprehensive CVD risk reduction strategies for all individuals and populations. PCNA seeks to impact health disparities through programs and educational tools. The mission of PCNA emphasizes the important role of nurses in the promotion of cardiac and vascular disease prevention. This is accomplished through the integration of public and professional education and advocacy.