The Current State of Paediatric Orthopaedic Venous Thromboprophylaxis

Author(s):  
J Wright ◽  
S Randhawa ◽  
C Gooding ◽  
S Lowery ◽  
D Eastwood ◽  
...  

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is widely understood to be an important cause both of morbidity and mortality in hospital inpatients. This has led to the development of guidelines for the management of VTE prophylaxis in adults by the national institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. In acknowledgement of the importance of this issue, there are government incentives in the form of Commissioning for Quality and innovation payments that are dependent on the performance of hospital trusts in certain quality indicators, such as risk assessment for VTE in the adult patient.

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Karagiannidis ◽  
Omar Toma

Abstract Aims Audit to assess Orthopaedic departments’ compliance with NICE guidelines on Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis published in 2010, specifically looking at VTE practices for patients with lower limb injuries treated in a plaster cast. Methods A telephonic survey was carried out on junior doctors within orthopaedic departments of 66 hospitals across all regions of England. A questionnaire was completed regarding VTE risk assessment, prophylaxis and hospital guidelines etc. Data collected from August 2016 till February 2017. Results 83% (n = 55) of trusts routinely give VTE prophylaxis to these patients. 96% (n = 64) give Chemoprophylaxis of some sort. Formal VTE assessments are performed in 81% (n = 54) and 77% (n = 51) have a local VTE prophylaxis policy. Conclusions We conclude that Orthopaedic departments across England have increased compliance with NICE guidelines for VTE prophylaxis. However there is considerable variation in practice, especially in duration and chemoprophylaxis agent. We attribute this to the lack of specific NICE guidelines for this cohort of patients. We aim that this study can influence NICE to introduce added guidance that will standardise practice.


2018 ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Abdullah Jibawi ◽  
Mohamed Baguneid ◽  
Arnab Bhowmick

Venous thromboembolism is a common but largely preventable complication following surgery. However, fatal complications can occur as a result of pulmonary embolism following deep vein thrombosis. A structured risk assessment should be performed preoperatively in all surgical patients and thromboprophylaxis measures should be tailored according to patient- and procedure-related factors. These measures include anticoagulation with low molecular weight heparin and the use of mechanical compression devices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e868-e874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris E. Holmes ◽  
Steven Ades ◽  
Susan Gilchrist ◽  
Daniel Douce ◽  
Karen Libby ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Guidelines recommend venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment in outpatients with cancer and pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in selected patients at high risk for VTE. Although validated risk stratification tools are available, < 10% of oncologists use a risk assessment tool, and rates of VTE prophylaxis in high-risk patients are low in practice. We hypothesized that implementation of a systems-based program that uses the electronic health record (EHR) and offers personalized VTE prophylaxis recommendations would increase VTE risk assessment rates in patients initiating outpatient chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in the Ambulatory Cancer Clinic (VTEPACC) was a multidisciplinary program implemented by nurses, oncologists, pharmacists, hematologists, advanced practice providers, and quality partners. We prospectively identified high-risk patients using the Khorana and Protecht scores (≥ 3 points) via an EHR-based risk assessment tool. Patients with a predicted high risk of VTE during treatment were offered a hematology consultation to consider VTE prophylaxis. Results of the consultation were communicated to the treating oncologist, and clinical outcomes were tracked. RESULTS: A total of 918 outpatients with cancer initiating cancer-directed therapy were evaluated. VTE monthly education rates increased from < 5% before VTEPACC to 81.6% (standard deviation [SD], 11.9; range, 63.6%-97.7%) during the implementation phase and 94.7% (SD, 4.9; range, 82.1%-100%) for the full 2-year postimplementation phase. In the postimplementation phase, 213 patients (23.2%) were identified as being at high risk for developing a VTE. Referrals to hematology were offered to 151 patients (71%), with 141 patients (93%) being assessed and 93.8% receiving VTE prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: VTEPACC is a successful model for guideline implementation to provide VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis to prevent cancer-associated thrombosis in outpatients. Methods applied can readily translate into practice and overcome the current implementation gaps between guidelines and clinical practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 913-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinsheng Liu ◽  
Fintan O'Rourke ◽  
Huong Van Nguyen

ABSTRACTBackground: While venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment and prophylaxis is well established for medical and surgical in-patients, there is a paucity of evidence, and therefore guidelines, in this area for psychogeriatric in-patients. We wished to determine VTE incidence, risk, and use of prophylaxis, in a psychogeriatric in-patient population.Methods: Retrospective audit of consecutive psychogeriatric patients aged 65 years and over admitted to Bankstown Hospital over a 3-year period, 2007–2009. Using an adapted VTE risk scoring system, patients were assigned as low, medium, or high VTE risk.Results: A total of 192 patients were included in the study. Mean age was 79.1 ± 7.0 years. Out of the total, 55.2% of patients had diagnosis of dementia, and 33.3% had depression. Overall, 81.8% (157/192) were assessed as low risk, and 18.2% (35/192) as medium risk. Also, 16.7% (32/192) received VTE prophylaxis.Four new VTE events occurred in medium-risk group, and one in low-risk group (p = 0.004). Overall VTE incidence was 10.5/10,000 patient-days, but 44.2 per 10,000 in medium-risk group. VTE risk score was predictive of VTE events – IRR 6.02 (95% Confidence Intervals (CI) = 1.76–20.7, p = 0.004) for every one-point increment in risk. Depression was associated with significantly higher VTE occurrence (6.3% in those with diagnosis vs. 0.8% without, p = 0.043).Conclusion: Using a VTE risk scoring system adapted for psychogeriatric in-patients, those assessed to be at medium risk had a significantly increased rate of VTE. On this basis, we would recommend VTE prophylaxis be prescribed for psychogeriatric in-patients assessed to be at medium and high level of risk.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e000680
Author(s):  
Melanie Nana ◽  
Cherry Shute ◽  
Rhys Williams ◽  
Flora Kokwaro ◽  
Kathleen Riddick ◽  
...  

Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) accounts for an estimated 25 000 preventable deaths per annum in the UK and is associated with significant healthcare costs. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on the prevention of VTE in hospitalised patients highlight the clinical and cost-effectiveness of VTE prevention strategies. A multidisciplinary quality improvement team (MD QIT) based in a district general hospital sought to improve compliance with VTE prophylaxis prescription to greater than 85% of patients within a 3-month time frame. Quality improvement methodology was adopted over three cycles of the project. Interventions included the introduction of a ‘VTE sticker’ to prompt risk assessment; educational material for medical staff and allied healthcare professionals; and patient information raising the awareness of the importance of VTE prophylaxis. Implementation of these measures resulted in significant and sustained improvements in rates of risk assessment within 24 hours of admission to hospital from 51% compliance to 94% compliance after cycle 2 of the project. Improvements were also observed in medication dose adjustment for the patient weight from 69% to 100% compliance. Dose adjustments for renal function showed similar trends with compliance with guidelines improving from 80% to 100%. These results were then replicated in a different clinical environment. In conclusion, this project exemplifies the benefits of MD QITs in terms of producing sustainable and replicable improvements in clinical practice and in relation to meeting approved standards of care for VTE risk assessment and prescription. It has been demonstrated that the use of educational material in combination with a standardised risk assessment tool, the ‘VTE sticker’, significantly improved clinical practice in the context of a general medical environment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
P G Vaughan-Shaw ◽  
C Cannon

Objective Medical inpatients have been shown to be at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) including fatal pulmonary emboli. Several studies have shown that pharmacological thromboprophylaxis significantly reduces the rates of VTE, yet studies published to date have shown a considerable underuse of thromboprophylaxis in medical patients. This study assesses the current use of thromboprophylaxis in medical patients at our institution and aims to identify simple strategies to improve practice. Design A prospective study of thromboprophylaxis prescription was undertaken on three occasions over a 12-month period. Patients were stratified according to the number of risk factors and standards of thromboprophylaxis assessed according to risk. After the first round of data collection, results were presented, a local guideline was developed and a risk assessment was added to the clerking pro forma. Results There were 122 patients in the first round, 101 in the second and 163 in the third. Eligible moderate and high-risk patients receiving a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) increased from 31% to 63% ( P < 0.005) over the study period. Prescription of thromboembolic deterrent (TED) stockings in those contraindicated to LMWH increased from 23% to 35% although this was not statistically significant ( P = 0.08), and the percentage of high-risk patients correctly receiving LMWH, TED stockings or both increased from 22% to 62% ( P < 0.0005). Documentation of contraindications to thromboprophylaxis increased from 0% to 59% ( P < 0.0005). Conclusion This paper demonstrates an initial rate of thromboprophylaxis use considerably less than the ENDORSE trial. However the strategies employed following initial audit resulted in a significant increase in the prescription of both mechanical and pharmacological thromboprophylaxis. This example demonstrates the role of audit education and a risk assessment in stimulating change. Such strategies could be used to ensure compliance to recently published National Institute of Clinical Excellence VTE guidelines. Furthermore this example could be generalized to improve other aspects of care.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gallier ◽  
A. Topham ◽  
P. Nightingale ◽  
M. Garrick ◽  
I. Woolhouse ◽  
...  

AbstractBACKGROUNDVenous thromboembolism (VTE) causes significant mortality and morbidity in hospitalised patients. In England, reporting the percentage of patients with a completed VTE risk assessment is mandated, but this does not include whether that risk assessment resulted in appropriate prescribing. Full guideline compliance (an assessment and action) is rarely reported. Education, audit and feedback enhance guideline compliance but electronic prescribing systems(EPS) can mandate guideline-compliant actions. We hypothesised that EPS-based interventions would increase full VTE guideline compliance more than other interventions.METHODSAll admitted patients within University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust were included for analysis between 2011-2020. The proportion of patients who received a fully compliant risk assessment and action was assessed over time. Interventions included face-to-face feedback based on measured performance (an individual approach) and mandatory risk assessment and prescribing rules into an EPS (a systems approach).RESULTSData from all 235,005 admissions and all 5503 prescribers were included in the analysis. Face-to-face feedback improved full VTE guideline concordance from 70% to 77% (p=<0.001). Changes to the EPS to mandate assessment with prescribing rules increased full VTE compliance to 95% (p=<0.001). Further amendments to the EPS system to reduce erroneous VTE assessments slightly reduced full compliance to 92% (p<0.001), but this was then maintained including during changes to the low molecular weight heparin used for VTE prophylaxis.DISCUSSION/ CONCLUSIONAn EPS-systems approach was more effective in improving sustained guideline-compliant VTE prevention. Non-compliance was still not eradicated despite this mandated system and requires further research.FUNDINGHDR-UK Hub PIONEERSummary BoxWhat is already known?Hospitalised patients are at an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for VTE are well known, there are established screening criteria and there is an effective prophylactic therapy, using low molecular weight heparin where indicated. Since 2010, NHS England has mandated the reporting of the percentage of patients with a completed VTE risk assessment. However, it does not automatically follow that completing a risk assessment leads to the appropriate action (prescribing and administering VTE prophylaxis where indicated). Currently it is unclear what percentage of patients have a guideline compliant VTE risk assessment and an associated action, or how full guideline compliance can be improved.What does this paper add?First, this paper describes that a VTE risk assessment does not always lead to full VTE guideline compliance (an appropriate prescription and administration of heparin where indicated). This is currently not part of mandated reporting but potentially could lead to patient harm. Second, that Electronic Health Systems (EHS) can capture and interrogate guideline-associated risk assessments and prescribing, and be used to improve full guideline compliance, through a combination of individual feedback to prescribing outliers and mandated prescribing rules. These EPS-assisted systems are robust, and sustain guideline compliance through personnel and formulary changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Njim ◽  
A Hafez ◽  
I Omar

Abstract Introduction Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment is crucial for patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. An accurate risk assessment leads to patient stratification into risk groups for appropriate VTE prophylaxis. Aim To evaluate the accuracy of VTE risk assessment in the orthopaedic wards of the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital (GRH). Method We used the drug charts available on the wards of GRH which follow the NICE Clinical guideline [CG92]. We identified four variables out of the 19 questions that assess thrombosis risk: age, BMI, presence of infection/inflammatory conditions and surgery to the lower limb. Drug charts from the 10th of November to the 15th of November 2020 were assessed for completeness and accuracy. The number and accuracy of drug charts with VTE risk assessments on admission and 24 hours after admission were assessed. Results Fifty-seven drug charts with VTE risk assessments were identified over this period. Only 66.7% of VTE risk assessments were complete on admission and 21.1% were complete 24 hours after admission. Accuracy of assessment on admission was 92.1%, 86.1%, 81.6% and 79.0% for age, BMI, categories of surgery to the lower limbs and presence of inflammation, respectively. Accuracy of assessment at 24 hours was 91.7%, 83.3%, 50.0% and 91.7% for age, BMI, surgery to the lower limbs and presence of infection/inflammation, respectively. Conclusions VTE risk assessment upon admission and at 24 hours is relatively low and needs improvement. A further enquiry is necessary to evaluate the reasons for defective VTE assessment.


Author(s):  
José Costa ◽  
António Araújo

AbstractCancer-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a major health problem, accounting for at least 18% of all cases of VTE. Cancer patients with VTE have worse prognosis than those without VTE. Prophylaxis reduces VTE risk, but it is not feasible for all outpatients with cancer due to an increased bleeding risk. The factors involved in the pathogenesis of cancer-related VTE are direct coagulation activation, platelet activation, induction of inflammatory responses, and inhibition of fibrinolysis. Direct coagulation activation can be due to cancer procoagulant (a cysteine protease), microvesicles, or other prothrombotic abnormalities. Risk factors for developing VTE in cancer patients can be divided into four groups: tumor-related risk factors, patient-related risk factors, treatment-related risk factors, and biomarkers. Cancers of the pancreas, kidney, ovary, lung, and stomach have the highest rates of VTE. Patient-related risk factors such as age, obesity, or the presence of medical comorbidities can contribute to VTE. Platinum-based chemotherapies and antiangiogenesis treatments have also been associated with VTE. Biomarkers identified as risk factors include high platelet count, high leukocyte count, P-selectin, prothrombin fragments, D-dimer, and C-reactive protein. Based on the known risk factors, risk assessment models were developed to stratify patients who would benefit from thromboprophylaxis. The Khorana model was the first and is still the most widely used model. Because of its low sensitivity for certain tumor types, four new models have been developed in recent years. In this review, we describe the current knowledge about the pathogenesis and risk factors for cancer-related VTE, hoping to contribute to further research on the still many obscure aspects of this topic.


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