Table 1.
Levels of venous thromboembolism risk and American College of Chest Physicians recommended thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized patients8
| Level of risk | Approximate DVT risk without thromboprophylaxis, % | Suggested thromboprophylaxis options |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | <10% | No specific thromboprophylaxis, early and aggressive ambulation |
| Minor surgery in mobile patients | ||
| Medical patients who are fully mobile | ||
| Moderate risk | 10%–40% | LMWH or low-dose UFH (bid or tid) or fondaparinux |
| Most general, open gynecologic or urologic surgery patients | ||
| Medical patients at bed rest or sick | ||
| High risk | 40%–80% | LMWH or fondaparinux or oral vitamin K antagonist (INR 2.0–3.0) |
| Hip or knee arthroplasty, hip fracture surgery | ||
| Major trauma, spinal cord injury |
Notes: For patients with moderate or high thromboembolic risk and high bleeding risk, mechanical prophylaxis with intermittent pneumatic compression devices, or venous foot pump and/or graduate compression stockings are recommended.
Abbreviations: DVT, deep vein thrombosis; INR, international normalized ratio; LMWH, low molecular weight heparins; UFH, unfractionated heparin.