Heparin versus Danaproid for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism after Hip Surgery

PURPOSE: To compare the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE), and bleeding complications in patients receiving heparin or danaproid after hemiarthroplasty or osteosynthesis for hip fractures. METHODS: 37 men and 138 women aged 47 to 100 (mean, 80) years underwent either hemiarthroplasty or osteosynthesis for hip fractures; 5 patients with dementia were excluded. All patients received preoperative elastic stocking and postoperative intermittent pneumatic compression. They were divided into 3 groups based on their admission period: controls (n=71), unfractionated heparin (n=44), and danaproid sodium (n=55). Drugs were administered from postoperative day 1 to 7. At day 7, all patients undertook radioisotope venography of the legs and lung perfusion scintigraphy. RESULTS: In the control, heparin, and danaproid groups respectively, the DVT rates were 31%, 9.1%, and 5.5%, and the PTE rates were 5.6%, 4.5%, and 1.8%. Only the DVT rate in the control group was significantly higher than that in the heparin and danaproid groups. In the heparin group, one patient had gastrointestinal bleeding, 5 developed wound haematomas, and one had leakage from the drain site for 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: Danaproid sodium appeared more effective and safer than heparin, with no bleeding complications occurred.