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Although intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices are used widely to prevent deep venous thrombosis (DVT), evidence for their effectiveness in nonsurgical patients is limited. In this trial, U.K. researchers randomized 2876 immobile patients with acute stroke to receive IPC or no IPC (immobility was defined as being unable to walk to the toilet without assistance). Nearly all patients underwent compression duplex ultrasound of the legs at 7 to 10 days, and two thirds of them underwent second ultrasounds at 1 month. IPC devices were worn until patients became independently mobile or until hospital discharge. The following outcomes were noted in the IPC group compared with the no-IPC group:
Significantly lower incidence of symptomatic …