Deep vein thrombosis prevention
Editor(s)-In-Chief: The APEX Trial Investigators, C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2] ; Kashish Goel, M.D.; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Justine Cadet
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Deep Vein Thrombosis Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Special Scenario |
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Trials |
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Deep vein thrombosis prevention On the Web |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Deep vein thrombosis prevention |
Overview
Primary prevention includes the strategies that help to avoid the development of disease. Awareness of Deep venous thrombosis is the best way to prevent this condition.
Primary prevention
Walking is an effective preventative measure.[1] It prevents backing up of blood in the lower limb vessels. Soleus is a powerful lower limb muscle which assist in walking. Also, in upright posture, it is responsible for pumping venous blood back into the heart from the periphery, and is often called the skeletal-muscle pump, peripheral heart or the sural (tricipital) pump.
Anticoagulants and mechanical measures may also be used. In 2012, the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) released their 9th edition of clinical guidelines,[2] which included recommendations on VTE prevention.[3] The recommendations were given strengths with "grades", depending upon the evidence for them.
| Grade | Description of 2012 ACCP grade[4] |
|---|---|
| 1A | Strong recommendation, high-quality evidence |
| 1B | Strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence |
| 1C | Strong recommendation, low- or very-low-quality evidence |
| 2A | Weak recommendation, high-quality evidence |
| 2B | Weak recommendation, moderate-quality evidence |
| 2C | Weak recommendation, low- or very-low-quality evidence[5] |
Lifestyle modifications
The most common lifestyle risk factors for venous thromboembolism are:
- Obesity,
- Inactivity,
- Cigarette smoking,
- Avoid dehydration,
- Maintain normal blood pressure.
Surgery patients
Surgery patients are at an increased risk of forming a DVT.
I) In patients who have undergone non-orthopedic surgery, depending upon the risk of VTE, risk of major bleeding, and patient preferences, following are potential recommended treatments.
- Early ambulation (walking).
- Mechanical prophylaxis (intermittent pneumatic compression [IPC] or graduated compression stockings [GCS]).
- Drugs (low-molecular-weight heparin [LMWH], low-dose-unfractionated heparin [LDUH])[6]
II) In major orthopedic surgery patients—those undergoing total hip replacement, total knee replacement, and hip fracture surgery—additional drug options, such as fondaparinux and aspirin, are recommended (1B), though LMWH is preferred (2B or 2C).[7] IPC is an option (1C).[7][8]
Pregnancy
The risk of VTE is increased in pregnancy by about 4-fold[9] due to a more hypercoaguable state, a likely adaptation against fatal postpartum hemorrhage.
Travelers
There is clinical evidence that suggest, wearing compression socks, on long haul flights, reduces the incidence of thrombosis. A randomised study in 2001 compared two sets of long haul airline passengers, one set wore travel compression hosiery the others did not. The passengers were all scanned and tested to check for the incidence of DVT. The results showed that asymptomatic DVT occurred in 10% of the passengers who did not wear compression socks. The group wearing compression had no DVTs. The authors concluded that wearing elastic compression hosiery reduces the incidence of DVT in long haul airline passengers.[10].
Deep vein thrombosis guidelines for patients undergoing surgery
- ACCP Guidelines - Recommendations for Prevention of VTE in Nonorthopedic Surgical Patients
General surgery, GI surgery, Urological surgery and Gynecologic surgery, Bariatric surgery, Vascular surgery, and Plastic and Reconstructive surgery
| Grade 1 |
| "1. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at very low risk for VTE ( < 0.5%; Rogers score, <7; Caprini score, 0), we recommend that no specific pharmaclogic prophylaxis be used other than early ambulation (Level of evidence B)." |
| "5. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at high risk for VTE (~6.0%; Caprini score,≥5) who are not at high risk for major bleeding complications, we recommend pharmacologic prophylaxis with LMWH (Level of evidence B) or LDUH (Level of evidence B) over no prophylaxis. " |
| "6. For high-VTE-risk patients undergoing abdominal or pelvic surgery for cancer who are not otherwise at high risk for major bleeding complications, we recommend extended duration pharmacologic prophylaxis (4 weeks) with LMWH over limited-duration prophylaxis (Level of evidence B)." |
| Grade 2 |
| "1. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at very low risk for VTE ( < 0.5%; Rogers score, <7; Caprini score, 0), we recommend that no specific mechanical prophylaxis be used other than early ambulation.(Level of evidence C) " |
| "2. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at low risk for VTE (~1.5%; Rogers score, 7-10; Caprini score, 1-2), we suggest mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC), over no prophylaxis (Level of evidence C). " |
| "3. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at moderate risk for VTE (~3.0%; Rogers score, >10; Caprini score, 3-4) who are not at high risk for major bleeding complications, we suggest low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) (Level of evidence B), low-dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH) (Level of evidence B) , or mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with IPC (Level of evidence C) , over no prophylaxis. " |
| "4. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at moderate risk for VTE (3.0%; Rogers score, > 10; Caprini score, 3-4) who are at high risk for major bleeding complications or those in whom the consequences of bleeding are thought to be particularly severe, we suggest mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with IPC, over no prophylaxis (Level of evidence C) . " |
| "5. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at high risk for VTE (~6.0%; Caprini score,≥5) who are not at high risk for major bleeding complications, we suggest that mechanical prophylaxis with elastic stockings (ES) or IPC should be added to pharmacologic prophylaxis (Level of evidence C). " |
| "7. For high-VTE-risk general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients who are at high risk for major bleeding complications or those in whom the consequences of bleeding are thought to be particularly severe, we suggest use of mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with IPC, over no prophylaxis until the risk of bleeding diminishes and pharmacologic prophylaxis may be initiated (Level of evidence C). " |
| "8. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients at high risk for VTE (6%; Caprini score,≥5) in whom both LMWH and unfractionated heparin are contraindicated or unavailable and who are not at high risk for major bleed ing complications, we suggest low-dose aspirin (Level of evidence C) , fondaparinux (Level of evidence C) , or mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with IPC (Level of evidence C) , over no prophylaxis. " |
| "9. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients, we suggest that an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter should not be used for primary VTE prevention (Level of evidence C). " |
| "10. For general and abdominal-pelvic surgery patients, we suggest that periodic surveillance with venous compression ultrasound (VCU) should not be performed (Level of evidence C) . " |
ACCP Guidelines- Recommendations for Prevention of VTE in Cardiac Surgery Patients (DO NOT EDIT)
| Grade 2 |
| "1. For cardiac surgery patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course, we suggest use of mechanical prophylaxis, preferably with optimally applied IPC, over either no prophylaxis (Grade 2C) or pharmacologic prophylaxis (Level of evidence C). |
| "2. For cardiac surgery patients whose hospital course is prolonged by one or more nonhemorrhagic surgical complications, we suggest adding pharmacologic prophylaxis with LDUH or LMWH to mechanical prophylaxis (Level of evidence C). |
ACCP Guidelines- Recommendations for Prevention of VTE in Thoracic Surgery Patients (DO NOT EDIT)
| Grade 1 | ||||
"1. For thoracic surgery patients at high risk for VTE who are not at high risk for perioperative bleeding, we suggest LDUH (Level of evidence B) or LMWH (Level of evidence B)
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