Recommendations for Managing Venous Thromboembolism Related to Orthopedic Surgery

Background

A group of 600 international experts have issued a new set of guidelines that address virtually all aspects of venous thromboembolism (VTE) related to orthopedic surgery. The 328-page report, with scores of recommendations, is divided into 10 topics (general, hip/knee, foot/ankle, hand/wrist, shoulder/elbow, spine, oncology, pediatrics, sports, and trauma).

Key Points and Recommendations

Here we present selected points, drawn from the “general” and “hip/knee” sections, that might be of interest to nonorthopedists who comanage elective surgical patients with orthopedists.

• A history of VTE is a well-known risk factor for postoperative VTE. Howev…