Deep-vein thrombosis in two district hospitals in Essex

Abstract

SUMMARYTwo groups, each of 50 patients over the age of 40 years, underwent elective operation at two district general hospitals in Essex. The incidences of calfvein thrombosis on routine lZ5I-fibrinogen scans after operation were 16 and 18 per cent respectively. The incidence in comparable samples of patients from three metropolitan teaching hospitals was about 33 per cent. (Kakkar, 1969) and in the Chelmsford group of hospitals in Essex, observed a remarkable difference in incidence between the two. We therefore conducted a prospective investigation of the problem in the district general hospitals at Chelmsford and Billericay. SELECTION OF PATIENTSFor a comparable series, every patient over the age of 40 years coming in for elective operation under general anaesthesia and who was likely to stay in the hospital for at least 5 days afterwards was investigated. Fifty patients were studied in each hospital.Those who were to have operations on the legs were excluded. METHODSWe followed the method described by Negus and others (1968)~ but used a portable isotope-localization monitor* which gives readings comparable to the standard laboratory equipment. In view of the obvious advantages, this model was used for routine scanning in all the patients. Every patient was examined before operation clinically as well as with the * Model 235 manufactured by D. A. Pitman, England. ultrasonic flow detector,t and Lugol's iodine was used to block the thyroid. At the beginning of the operation 100 pc. in I mg. of 1861-fibrinogenS were injected intravenously. If there was evidence of thrombosis

Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis by Intermittent Pneumatic Compression of Calf

“…This suggests, therefore, that it is the degree of operative trauma which puts these patients at risk, rather than just the length of anaesthesia. Sripad et al (1971) have suggested that in operations lasting less than one hour there is a low incidence of thrombosis, and we must agree with this. We suspect, however, that this is because these are Jess severe operations and consequently shorter.…”

Varicose Veins, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Haemorrhoids: Epidemiology and Suggested Aetiology

“…Modern techniques using phlebography and radioactive fibrinogen indicate that thrombosis occurs with identical frequency in either leg (Browse and Negus, 1970;Kakkar et al, 1970;Kemble, 1971;Sripad et al, 1971), whereas clinically recognizable cases, and in particular ileofemoral thrombosis, have been reported to be two or three times more common in the left leg (Atkins, 1938;Barker, 1941;. This discrepancy is understandable in view of observations that venous thrombosis can be detected clinically only in 50-90% of patients.…”

Incidence of Deep Vein Thrombosis after Major Abdominal Surgery as Observed in Saudi Arabia

“…Table 2 compares the incidence of DVT in our study with that in previously reported series. The incidence of DVT in similar groups of patients from the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia ranges from 17 to 35% [1][2][3][10][11][12][13][14]. The 14% incidence in our study is considerably lower and compares with that from the Sudan, Malaysia, and Japan.…”

“…It has been postulated that climatic or racial factors may be important in the genesis of this complication [7,12]. However, no such information has been available for the Gulf area of the Middle East.…”

“…1990; 10(6): 602-604 Many studies have reported widely differing incidences of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) [1][2][3][4]. It has been postulated that climatic or racial factors may be important in the genesis of this complication [7,12]. However, no such information has been available for the Gulf area of the Middle East.…”