Treatment of pulmonary embolism in total hip replacement.

From 1962-73 7,959 total hip replacements were performed by a standardized technique at Wrightington Hospital with 628 (7.89%) non-fatal emboli. Of 603 available for study the effect of different forms of anticoagulant therapy were compared with no therapy. The various antithromboembolic regimens in 295 cases had recurrent emboli in 13 per cent, while without anticoagulant therapy in 308 there were only 3.2 per cent recurrent pulmonary emboli.