Testing for thrombophilia: clinical update.

British Journal of General Practice, February 2014 e120 baCKGROUND Thrombophilia describes inherited and acquired prothrombotic states which predispose to venous, but not arterial thromboembolism. The heritable states are of limited clinical significance in primary care and while they may underlie a patient’s presentation with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) of uncertain cause, tests infrequently alter management. Testing patients is not without pitfalls: results are only informative if taken in the right patient at an appropriate time, as explained in recent guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)1 and described below.