Abstract
Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism
(PE), is a preventable cause of in-hospital death, and one of the most prevalent vascular
diseases. There is a lack of knowledge with regards to contemporary presentation,
management and outcomes of patients with VTE. Many clinically important subgroups
(including the elderly, those with recent bleeding and pregnant patients) have been
under-represented in clinical trials. Furthermore, design of clinical trials is challenging
in some scenarios, such as in those with hemodynamically unstable PE. RIETE (Registro Informatizado Enfermedad TromboEmbolica) is a large prospective multinational ongoing registry, designed to address
these unmet needs using representative data from multiple centres. Initiated in Spain
in 2001, RIETE currently includes 179 centres in 24 countries and has enrolled more
than 72,000 patients. RIETE has helped characterize the pattern of presentation and
outcomes of VTE, including the aforementioned understudied subgroups. RIETE has recently
expanded to collect long-term outcome data, and has broadened its inclusion criteria
to enrol other forms of venous thrombosis (such as cerebral vein thrombosis and splanchnic
vein thrombosis). The RIETE platform is also being used to conduct pragmatic comparative
effectiveness studies, including randomized trials. Future steps would focus on collaboration
with additional centres across the world, and efforts to ensure the quality and expansion
of the registry. In conclusion, RIETE is a large ongoing registry of patients with
VTE and other thrombotic conditions. Its results could be helpful for improving our
understanding of the epidemiology, patterns of care and outcomes of patients with
thrombotic disease.
Keywords
venous thrombosis - deep vein thrombosis - pulmonary embolism
