Editorial

How Do You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? Lessons from Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Guidelines

Authors: Jeffrey B. Hoag, MD, MS

Abstract

Prevention is paramount to current medical management, particularly when the evidence supporting preventative therapies is robust. One such “preventative therapy” focuses on strategies for inpatient prevention of venous thromboembolic disease in medically and surgically ill patients. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant sequela of inpatient hospitalization with estimated prevalence rates of approximately 25% in hospitalized medical patients,1 with as high as 60% of hospitalized postorthopaedic surgical patients2 not receiving prophylaxis. Developing VTE as an inpatient can increase morbidity by increasing the length of hospitalization, introducing new chronic medications, decreasing mobility and rehabilitation, and developing significant downstream effects, including pulmonary embolism. These rates can be dramatically reduced with pharmacologic prophylaxis.3

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