Tory Trauma Program

Administrative Assistant: Alison Fairclough
Phone: 416-480-5953
Email: alison.fairclough@sunnybrook.ca

Education:

• B.Sc., 1975, biology, McMaster University, Canada
• B.Med.Sci., 1977, medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
• MD, 1979, medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Affiliate scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Director, thromboembolism program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Professor, department of medicine, University of Toronto
• Member, Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, U of T

Research Foci:

• Epidemiology, prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders
• Quality of care and patient safety in thromboembolism

Research Summary:

Over the past 25 years, Dr. Geerts has developed and participated in clinical research in all aspects of thromboembolism, including epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. His primary interest has been in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk patients, especially following trauma. He has performed the most comprehensive, prospective study of the risks of venous thromboembolism in trauma patients and found that they are the highest-risk group for thromboembolism in hospitals.

Subsequently, Dr. Geerts and his group conducted the first large randomized controlled trial of thromboprophylaxis in major trauma patients, by comparing subcutaneous low-dose heparin with low molecular weight heparin in a double-blinded manner. This study demonstrated that the early use of low molecular weight heparin is more efficacious than low-dose heparin in trauma patients without increasing bleeding.

His research interests extend to the implementation of knowledge about thromboembolism into clinical practice.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Selby R, Geerts WH, Kreder HJ, Crowther MA, Kaus L, Sealey F, on behalf of the Knee-to-Ankle Fracture Cohort Study Investigators. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of the prevention of clinically-important venous thromboembolism following isolated lower leg fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2014. In press.
2. Bouchard-Fortier G, Geerts WH, Covens A, Vicus D, Kupets R, Gien LT. Is venous thromboprophylaxis necessary in patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for a gynecologic malignancy? Gynecol Oncol. 2014 Aug;134(2):228–32.
3. Selby R, Geerts WH, Kreder HJ, Crowther MA, Kaus L, Sealey F. Symptomatic venous thromboembolism uncommon without thromboprophylaxis after isolated lower-limb fracture: the knee-to-ankle fracture (KAF) cohort study. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014 May;96(10):e83:1–5.
4. Gladman M, DeHaan M, Pinto H, Geerts W, Zinman L. Venous thromboembolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a prospective study. Neurology. 2014 May;82(19):1674–7.
5. Nguyen GC, Bernstein CN, Bitton A, Chan AK, Griffiths AM, Leontiadis GI, Geerts W, Bressler B, Butzner JD, Carrier M, Chande N, Marshall JK, Williams C, Kearon C. Consensus statements on the risk, prevention, and treatment of venous thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. Gastroenterology. 2014 Mar;146(3):835–48.

Related News and Stories:

• Blood not so simple: preventing trauma patients from bleeding out is one of the most challenging tasks a trauma team faces—but so is ensuring they don't get lethal blood clots (SRI Magazine, 2017)
• Cited! (SRI Magazine, 2008)