In critically ill patients, dual therapy was not more effective than drug therapy alone.
In many intensive care units (ICUs), patients commonly receive “dual therapy” for preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE): pharmacologic prophylaxis (subcutaneous unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin) plus pneumatic compression devices. Critically ill patients clearly are at risk for VTE, but does combining two forms of prophylaxis confer benefit?
About 2000 patients at ICUs in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, and India were randomized to receive pharmacologic prophylaxis alone or in combination with intermittent pneumatic compression. Most pneumatic compression was accomplished with lower limb, knee-length sleeves. Compression was applied for a median 22 hours daily and for a median 7 days. Most participants were medical p…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresEditorial BoardsATS Scholar
DisclosuresEditorial BoardsATS Scholar