An Alternative Prophylaxis for Deep Vein Thrombosis Using Intermittent Electrical Stimulation

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that typically forms in the deep veins of the lower body and is the third most common cardiovascular disease, after myocardial infarction and stroke, in the world today. One of the causes of DVT, is the slow movement or stoppage of blood flow, known as venous stasis. Current methods of DVT prevention include anticoagulants and mechanical prophylaxis. Despite these methods having previously shown to lower the incidence of DVT, anticoagulant use is contraindicated in individuals with major bleeding risks and mechanical interventions often prove to be cumbersome and uncomfortable. The overall goal of my project was to investigate a novel method for DVT prevention, termed intermittent electrical stimulation (IES). The current study investigated the effects of IES on healthy typical, as well as post-stroke persons. The results showed that IES-induced contractions, lead to significant increases in venous flow compared to baseline, at relatively low levels of IES-induced contractions, and at comfortable levels of stimulation in typical and in post-stroke persons. The results indicate that IES can sufficiently increase venous flow to prevent venous stasis and is comfortable for end users. Incorporation of IES into a clinical device, could serve to provide a feasible and effective alternative for DVT prophylaxis.