summary
Primary prevention is the key to managing a significant proportion of the burden of
venous thromboembolism (VTE), defined as deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary
embolism (PE). This is because VTE may lead to sudden death or are often misdiagnosed
and therefore treatment is not feasible. Primary prevention usually commences in hospital
as VTE following hospitalisation adds to the significant disease burden worldwide.
Numerous medical, surgical and other risk factors have been recognised and studied
as indications for prophylaxis. The risk of VTE continues following admission to hospital
with a medical or surgical condition, usually long after discharge and therefore prolonged
primary prophylaxis is often recommended. Clinical and observational studies in surgical
patients show this risk extends for months and perhaps more than one year, for medical
patients the risk extends for at least several weeks. For the specific groups of patients
at higher risk of developing VTE primary prevention, either pharmaceutical or mechanical,
is recommended. The aim of this review is to describe the population at risk, the
main related risk factors and the approach to thromboprophylaxis in different populations.
Keywords
Venous thrombosis - prophylaxis - clinical studies - clinical trials - heparins/LMWH
- oral anticoagulants