Incidence of deep venous thrombosis and stratification of risk groups in a university hospital vascular surgery unit

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a knowledge gap with relation to the true incidence of deep vein thrombosis among patients undergoing vascular surgery procedures in Brazil. This study is designed to support the implementation of a surveillance system to control the quality of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in our country. Investigations in specific institutions have determined the true incidence of deep vein thrombosis and identified risk groups, to enable measures to be taken to ensure adequate prophylaxis and treatment to prevent the condition.OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of deep venous thrombosis in patients admitted to hospital for non-venous vascular surgery procedures and stratify them into risk groups.METHOD: This was a cross-sectional observational study that evaluated 202 patients from a university hospital vascular surgery clinic between March 2011 and July 2012. The incidence of deep venous thrombosis was determined using vascular ultrasound examinations and the Caprini scale.RESULTS: The mean incidence of deep venous thrombosis in vascular surgery patients was 8.5%. The frequency distribution of patients by venous thromboembolism risk groups was as follows: 8.4% were considered low risk, 17.3% moderate risk, 29.7% high risk and 44.6% were classified as very high risk.CONCLUSION: The incidence of deep venous thrombosis in vascular surgery patients was 8.5%, which is similar to figures reported in the international literature. Most vascular surgery patients were stratified into the high and very high risk for deep venous thrombosis groups.

Sonographic Incidence and Extent of Lower Limb Deep Venous Thrombosis in Hosptilised Pateints of Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Rate of mortality among elderly patients, per year because of pulmonary thromboembolism and deep venous thrombosis are 39% and 21% respectively. In that study, vascular doppler ultrasonography was performed as a dependable technique for diagnosing of deep venous thrombosis in perspective on the way of its high specificity and sensitivity in the diagnosis of DVT therefore it has practically replaced venography, and also has easy availability and is cheap modality therefore has good cost-benefit profile 9 . After a symptomatic DVT the recurrent rate is high because of previous history of DVT 10 .…”