Venous Thromboembolism Prevention After Hip Fractures
Author Information
Author(s): Faroug Radwane, Konnuru Shireesha, Min San S, Hussain Fazleenah, Ampat George
Primary Institution: Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS trust
Hypothesis
Does adherence to NICE guidelines improve venous thromboembolism prevention in patients with neck of femur fractures?
Conclusion
The compliance with NICE guidelines for VTE prevention in our Trauma department is low at only 6%.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 6% of patients received the recommended low molecular weight heparin for four weeks post-surgery.
- The mean duration of LMWH administration was 9.2 days, indicating it was often only given during hospital stays.
- Confusion from multiple thromboprophylaxis protocols was identified as a reason for low compliance.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well doctors follow guidelines to prevent blood clots in patients with hip fractures, and found they often don't do it well.
Methodology
The study audited 123 consecutive patients with neck of femur fractures to assess compliance with VTE prevention guidelines.
Potential Biases
Confusion from multiple thromboprophylaxis protocols may have biased adherence rates.
Limitations
The study was limited to a single department and may not reflect practices elsewhere.
Participant Demographics
Patients with neck of femur fractures treated in a trauma department.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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