Evaluating the effectiveness of a deep-vein thrombosis prophylaxis protocol in orthopaedics and traumatology.

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of the deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis protocol for adult patients in a general orthopaedics and traumatology clinic.

METHOD

We followed the DVT prophylaxis protocol in 1326 (776 female, 550 male) of 2114 adult patients admitted to the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology in Goztepe Research and Training Hospital. They were followed for symptomatic DVT and possible complications of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) therapy. A Doppler ultrasonography (US) was performed when DVT was suspected. The medical information treatment protocols of DVT patients were recorded.

RESULTS

Doppler US was performed in 58 patients with suspected DVT. Six of these patients were diagnosed with DVT. The side effects of LMWH were upper gastrointestinal bleeding (0.5%), widespread ecchymosis of the extremities (1.9%) and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (0.16%).

CONCLUSION

Symptomatic DVT occurrences were similar to those in medical literature; however, there were fewer side effects of LMWH than reported in literature.