Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Jun 27:21:e20210195.
doi: 10.1590/1677-5449.202101951. eCollection 2022.

Challenges of extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medical and surgical patients

Affiliations
Review

Challenges of extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medical and surgical patients

Maria Chiara Chindamo et al. J Vasc Bras. .

Abstract

Patients hospitalized for acute medical and surgical illnesses are at risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) during hospitalization and after discharge. Extended pharmacological prophylaxis beyond the hospital stay is recommended for patients undergoing surgeries at high risk for VTE and for selected groups of hospitalized medical patients. This practice involves several challenges, from identification of at-risk populations eligible for extended prophylaxis to choice of the most appropriate anticoagulant and definition of the ideal duration of use. This review will present the main VTE risk assessment models for hospitalized medical and surgical patients, the current recommendations for use of extended prophylaxis, and its limitations and benefits.

Resumo: Pacientes hospitalizados por doenças clínicas e cirúrgicas agudas estão sob risco de desenvolvimento de tromboembolismo venoso (TEV) durante a hospitalização e após a alta. A profilaxia farmacológica estendida além do período da hospitalização é recomendada para pacientes submetidos a cirurgias de alto risco de TEV e para grupos selecionados de pacientes clínicos hospitalizados. Diversos desafios envolvem essa prática, desde o reconhecimento das populações de risco elegíveis para a extensão da profilaxia até a escolha do anticoagulante mais adequado e a definição do tempo ideal de utilização. Os principais modelos de avaliação de risco de TEV em pacientes clínicos e cirúrgicos hospitalizados, as recomendações atuais para uso da profilaxia estendida e suas limitações e benefícios serão apresentados nesta revisão.

Keywords: clinical protocols; disease prevention; patient safety; pulmonary embolism; risk management; venous thrombosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: MCC, ATCR, EFP and MAM receive honoraria from the pharmaceutical industry for lectures on anticoagulation.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis care flow.
Figura 1
Figura 1. Fluxo de assistência na profilaxia de tromboembolismo venoso (TEV).

Similar articles

Cited by

  • Thromboprophylaxis in lower limb amputation surgery.
    Cerqueira MMBDF, Marques MA, Ribeiro AJA, Mendes-Pinto D, Sanches SMV. Cerqueira MMBDF, et al. J Vasc Bras. 2024 Aug 9;23:e20230144. doi: 10.1590/1677-5449.202301442. eCollection 2024. J Vasc Bras. 2024. PMID: 39286305 Free PMC article.

References

    1. Barkoudah E, Piazza G, Hecht TEH, et al. Extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medically ill patients: an NATF anticoagulation action initiative. Am J Med. 2020;133(Suppl 1):S1–27. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2019.12.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ortel TL. Acquired thrombotic risk factors in the critical care setting. Crit Care Med. 2010;38(2) Suppl:S43–50. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181c9ccc8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Caprini JA. Risk assessment as a guide for the prevention of the many faces of venous thromboembolism. Am J Surg. 2010;199(1) Suppl:S3–10. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2009.10.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Spencer FA, Lessard D, Emery C, Reed G, Goldberg RJ. Venous thromboembolism in the outpatient setting. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(14):1471–1475. doi: 10.1001/archinte.167.14.1471. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hull RD, Merali T, Mills A, Stevenson AL, Liang J. Venous thromboembolism in elderly high-risk medical patients: time course of events and influence of risk factors. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2013;19(4):357–362. doi: 10.1177/1076029613481105. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources