Award Recipient: Megan E. Barney, MS Medical student, Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Medicine
Supervisor: Khanh Nguyen, M.D.
Conference: Earl W. Davie Symposium on November 16, 2023
Location: Vancouver, BC
Poster Presentation Title: Catheter Associated Venous Thrombosis Among Veterans
The Earl W. Davie Symposium is an annual one-day research symposium held in Vancouver, BC in honor of Dr. Earl Davie. I am honored to have had the opportunity to attend and present my research on catheter associated venous thrombosis among Veterans.
Megan pictured with her poster.
I have been involved in research in Dr. Nguyen’s lab since starting medical school in 2021 at Oregon Health and Sciences University. The research we do is focused on venous thromboembolism, which aligns with a major topic of research discussed at this symposium. In fact, thanks to the opportunity to attend and participate at this symposium, I was able to watch my mentor, Dr. Nguyen present on thrombo-inflammation and venous thromboembolism. It was an incredible learning opportunity for me to see my mentor in action.
The research I presented on is particularly important to me because it combines my passion for venous thromboembolism and my desire to advance research in an understudied population, Veterans. I participated in the poster presentations, but also was given the opportunity to give an oral presentation on this work. Our research findings suggest that the incidence of catheter associated thrombosis among Veterans was ~3% and the majority of these events occurred within 10-30 days of the catheter placement. Our research additionally indicated that Black or African American race, a history of renal disease, and a history of cancer increase a patient’s risk for developing a catheter associated venous thrombosis. Furthermore, our research found that catheter associated thrombosis increases mortality in patients after placement of a central venous catheter. Ultimately, additional research is necessary to address the risks and benefits of prophylactically anticoagulating in patients at an increased risk for catheter associated thrombosis prior to the placement of central or peripheral line. It was an honor to share these research findings with the symposium attendees.
L-R: Dr. Ed Conway, Dr. Khanh Nguyen, Megan Barney
This was made possible with the help of the University of British Columbia Centre for Blood Research Travel Award. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and for this award that supported my travel from Portland, OR to Vancouver, BC. I would like to extend a thank you to the Centre for Blood Research. Overall, it was a positive experience, and I learned a lot about budding research findings in blood and blood-associated processes.
*With funding from the Sheldon Naiman and Linda Vickars Endowment Fund and Canadian Blood Services (CBS), the CBR supports travel and accommodation expenses for trainees to attend and present at the EWD symposium.