03_03_01 Thromboprophylaxis

Thromboprophylaxis
Session Overview
Description
This session outlines the risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically-ill patients and reviews the different methods, pharmacological and non-pharmacological, available for prophylaxis.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Assess risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in critically-ill patients
• Show what measures can be used to reduce VTE risk and list precautions and contraindications for these measures
• Choose appropriate VTE prophylaxis depending on risk assessment

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should:

• Thromboprophylaxis and thrombosis (001-0802)

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in the critically ill. Thromboprophylaxis, both mechanical and pharmacological, has been shown to reduce the risk of VTE in both surgical and medical patients but there is much less evidence available on the efficacy of preventive measures in critically-ill patients.

Thrombotic and bleeding risk usually coincide, and simple guidelines are not available. Therefore, it is important that you know how to carry out the risk assessment for VTE in critically-ill patients and the strategies that you can adopt to reduce this risk.