Submitted May 7, 2009
Accepted June 11, 2009
How we treat the antiphospholipid syndrome
Bill Giannakopoulos and Steven A. Krilis*
Department of Immunology, Allergy and Infectious Diseases, St George Hospital, and the Department of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kogarah, Sydney, NSW, Australia
* Corresponding author; email: s.krilis{at}unsw.edu.au.
This article discusses how we approach medical decision making in the treatment of the various facets of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), including secondary prophylaxis in the setting of venous and arterial thrombosis, as well as treatment for the prevention of recurrent miscarriages and fetal death. The role of primary thrombo-prophylaxis is also discussed in depth. Great emphasis is given to incorporating the most up-to-date and relevant evidence base both from the APS literature, and from large, recent, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of primary and secondary thrombotic prophylaxis in the general population setting (i.e. the population which has not been specifically investigated for APS).
