[Khorama score as a predictive tool for thromboembolic events in high risk patients].

BACKGROUND: There is an established relation between cancer and the development of thromboembolic venous disease. Khorana et al developed a predictive score using clinical characteristics and laboratory values to stratify patients according to their risk.

AIM: To characterize using Khorana score, patients with active cancer and a diagnosis of thromboembolic disease during hospitalization in an oncology hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of records of the pharmacy of the hospital, selecting patients who received heparin in therapeutic doses during their hospitalization. Using laboratory values available in the medical records, the Khorama score was calculated.

RESULTS: Twenty seven patients with thromboembolic events, aged 60 ± 2 years (56% males) were selected for the study. Eighty percent of them were catalogued in the intermediate and high risk group according to Khorana score.

CONCLUSIONS: Khorana score is a simple scale that might be useful to establish early prophylactic measures in patients with high risk for thromboembolic events, especially those with cancer.