I am delighted to see the increasing impact of World Thrombosis Day. Back in 2012, Tom Reiser - Chief Executive Officer of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) - shared this idea and it is to his immense credit that this has blossomed into a bold, assured, life-changing and saving movement. The message that '1 in 4 people die from causes related to blood clots' and 'Venous thromboembolism is the number 1 cause of preventable death in hospitals' is now loud and clear.
You are now all familiar with my mantra that 'haematology is at the centre of medicine', and thrombosis care plays a major part in our interactions with other clinical specialties. BSH is proud of its many leading haematologists that have championed this over time with Mike Greaves, Trevor Baglin and Beverley Hunt to name but a few. BSH has also been fully supportive of the successful campaign to bring the 2022 ISTH Congress to London.
While the problems of venous and arterial thromboembolism are better understood, an area of unmet need remains that of thrombosis occurring in small vessels. This is difficult to diagnose but its role in the development of multiple-organ failure during critical illness is increasingly recognised. As we understand more, it may be that we will find that even more people die from causes related to blood clots than current estimates. With increasing knowledge, World Thrombosis Day in the future might well be able to also shine light on the hidden problems and covert impact of small vessel thrombosis. Better awareness, better prevention and better treatment might also improve the outcome of affected patients.
Related: World Thrombosis Day