Comprehensive venous thromboembolism prevention programme incorporating mandatory risk assessment reduces the incidence of hospital-associated thrombosis.
Chest. 2013 May 16;
Authors: Roberts LN, Porter G, Barker RD, Yorke R, Bonner L, Patel RK, Arya R
Abstract
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication of hospitalisation and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The use of appropriate thromboprophylaxis can significantly reduce the risk of VTE but remains underutilised. In England, a comprehensive approach to VTE prevention was launched in 2010. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the implementation of the national programme in a single centre. METHODS: A prospective quality improvement programme was established at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2010. The multidisciplinary thrombosis team launched mandatory documented VTE risk assessment and updated thromboprophylaxis guidance. Root cause analysis of hospital-associated thrombosis (HAT) was implemented to identify system failures, enable outcome measurement and to facilitate learning to improve VTE prevention practice. The key outcomes were the incidence of HAT and the proportion of events preventable with appropriate thromboprophylaxis. RESULTS: Documented VTE risk assessment improved from less than 40% to >90% in the first nine months. 425 episodes of HAT were identified over two years. A significant reduction in the incidence of HAT was observed following sustained achievement of 90% risk assessment (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.74 - 0.98; P=0.014). The proportion of HAT attributable to inadequate thromboprophylaxis fell significantly from 37.5% to 22.4% (P=0.005). CONCLUSION: Mandatory VTE risk assessment can significantly reduce preventable HAT and thereby improve patient safety.
PMID: 23681495 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]