Key result
Mechanical prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism in hospitalized medical patients lacks standardization due to insufficient solid literature evidence and conflicting recent trial results.
Why the study?
Does mechanical prophylaxis prevent VTE in hospitalized ill medical patients?
Does mechanical prophylaxis prevent VTE in hospitalized ill medical patients?
This review highlights the lack of standardization and conflicting evidence regarding mechanical VTE prophylaxis in hospitalized ill medical patients.
Insufficient evidence precludes standardizing mechanical VTE prophylaxis in medical inpatients; leaves open the need for definitive RCTs.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in ill medical patients. Avoiding VTE is therefore of utmost importance in clinical practice. VTE prophylaxis can be assured by pharmacological strategies, such as heparinoids, unfractioned heparin, low molecular weight heparins, fondaparinux or oral anticoagulants and, when these are contraindicated, by mechanical measures, such as graduated compression stockings (GCS) and/ or intermittent pneumatic compression (ICP). However, due to the lack of solid literature evidence, VTE mechanical prophylaxis is not standardized in hospitalized ill medical patients. Much recently, findings from randomized clinical trials on VTE prophylaxis in ill medical patients, such as CLOTS I in patients with stroke and LIFENOX in patients with other kind of medical diseases, seem to increase doubts and reduce certainness in this context and recommendations from guidelines don’t help in reducing confusion. Therefore the aim of this review is to focus on mechanical prophylaxis of VTE in hospitalized ill medical patients.http://dx.doi.org/10.7175/rhc.v3i3.202
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Masotti et al. (2012) conducted a review in Venous thromboembolism in ill hospitalized medical patients. Mechanical prophylaxis (graduated compression stockings and/or intermittent pneumatic compression) was evaluated. Mechanical prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism in hospitalized medical patients lacks standardization due to insufficient solid literature evidence and conflicting recent trial results.
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