Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Prevention

According to the CDC, as many as 900,000 people in the US are affected each year by venous thromboembolism (VTE); either deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE) or both. Estimates suggest that 60,000-100,000 of those die each year. For those that survive, recurrences and long-term complications can arise.

• Hospital-Acquired VTE (HA-VTE) is the leading cause of preventable hospital deaths in the US.
• More than half of blood clots occurring in the outpatient setting (after discharge) are directly linked to a recent hospitalization or surgery.
• VTE is the fifth most frequent reason for unplanned hospital readmissions after surgery, overall, and the third most frequent among patients undergoing total hip or knee joint replacement.
• As many as 70% of cases of HA-VTE are preventable through prevention measures called prophylaxis. Prophylaxis can be in the form of pharmacological agents such as anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications (if not contraindicated due to risks associated). Another form with virtually no risk is mechanical prophylaxis; examples are Anti-Embolism Stockings (AES) and Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC). Pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis adds another layer of prevention when used in combination. Additionally, using a combination of mechanical prophylaxis such as AES with IPC has shown to reduce the incidence of DVTs by as much as 60%. Although VTE is highly preventable, studies show that fewer than half of at risk patients actually receive these preventative measures.