FACS, RVT, RPVI, a vascular surgeon from
Fast Facts About
Pulmonary Embolism
• Remains the most common preventable
cause of death in hospitals.
• 80% of PE occurs without symptoms.
• Two-thirds of deaths occur
within 30 minutes.
— Dan O'Connor
St. Petersburg, Fla., of the several factors
that will alert you to a patient who's at risk
for clotting.
• Patient history. Screen patients based on
age (risk rises steadily from age 40), obesity, malignancy, history of DVT or PE,
immobilization (bed rest, paralysis of legs,
plaster casts), pregnancy and puerperium,
and oral contraceptive use. "Patients with
PREVENTION At
least 90% of pulmonary emboli are
thought to originate
in major leg veins.
Intermittent pneumatic leg compression enhances
blood flow in the
deep veins.
acquired (cancer) or inherited (lupus)
hypercoaguable states are at risk, says Dr.
Mackay. "When the blood's not flowing
well, clots can form," he says. Patients
with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
bosis. NSQIP reports back to hospitals how
they're doing compared to national benchmarks.
undergoing surgery are at increased risk
for developing DVT or PE. The risk
appears to be even higher for patients with
IBD who are having non-intestinal surgery,
'Heparin or hose'
There's nothing complicated about DVT
prevention. An injectable anticoagulant,
compression boots or elastic stockings
alone or in combination are effective at
keeping blood flowing and decreasing DVT
risk.
"You have to have an index of suspicion
according to a study in the February 2012
Archives of Surgery.
• Type of surgery. Hip and knee surgery,
venous procedures, abdominal surgery,
gynecological surgery (particularly in older
women) and major surgery lasting longer
than 30 minutes are associated with significant risk.
to prevent DVT," says Edward Mackay, MD,
J A N U A R Y 2013 | S U P P L E M E N T
• Type of anesthesia. Recent studies have
TO
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E
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