Laboratory evaluation of hypercoagulability with venous or arterial thrombosis: Venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other conditions

Objective. - To provide recommendations for hypercoagulation testing for patients with venous, arterial, or neurovascular thrombosis, as reflected in the medical literature and the consensus opinion of recognized experts in the field. Data Sources, Extraction, and Synthesis. - The authors extensively examined the literature and current practices, and prepared a draft manuscript with preliminary recommendations. The draft manuscript was circulated to each of the expert participants (n = 30) in the consensus conference prior to the convening of the conference. The manuscript and recommendations were then presented at the conference for discussion. Recommendations were accepted if a consensus of the 28 experts attending the conference was reached. The discussions were also used to revise the manuscript into its final form. Conclusions. - The resulting article provides 17 recommendations for hypercoagulation testing in the setting of venous, arterial, or neurovascular thrombosis. The supporting evidence for test selection is analyzed and cited, and consensus recommendations for test selection are presented. Issues for which a consensus was not reached at the conference are also discussed.