The use of prophylaxis in patients undergoing diagnostic tests for suspected venous thromboembolism.

Link to article at PubMed

Related Articles

The use of prophylaxis in patients undergoing diagnostic tests for suspected venous thromboembolism.

Phlebology. 2010;25(2):85-93

Authors: Lee JA, Zierler BK

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe the use of pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing diagnostic tests for suspected venous thromboembolism (VTE). METHODS: The medical records of 660 consecutive inpatients referred for suspected VTE at an academic medical centre were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Acute VTE was diagnosed in 138 (21%) of the 660 patients; the incidence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism was 18-25%, respectively. Only 61% of eligible patients received pharmacological prophylaxis and 43% of patients received mechanical prophylaxis. The incidence of VTE was higher in patients who did not receive pharmacological prophylaxis (30%) compared with patients who did (16%, P value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preventive measures for VTE, including both pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis, were underutilized in hospitalized patients undergoing diagnostic tests for suspected VTE.

PMID: 20348455 [PubMed - in process]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *