VTE Prophylaxis Is Underused in the U.S. and Worldwide

In the U.S., 40% of patients who were at risk for venous thromboembolism did not receive prophylaxis.

Pulmonary embolism is the most common preventable cause of in-hospital death. Pharmacologic prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) lowers risk for pulmonary embolism by 57% in medical patients and by 75% in general surgical patients; the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) offers regularly updated guidelines on VTE prophylaxis. Nevertheless, many at-risk patients do not receive VTE prophylaxis.

Investigators conducted 1-day cross-sectional surveys of acute-care wards in 358 randomly selected hospitals in 32 countries on six continents; they assessed the number of patients who were at risk for VTE by ACCP criteria and the proportions who received recommended VTE prophylaxis. More than 68,000 patients were assessed (45% medical; …

Reviewing Author

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)