EFFECTIVENESS OF PNEUMATIC LEG COMPRESSION DEVICES FOR THE PREVENTIONOF THROMBOEMBOLIC DISEASE IN ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMA PATIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED STUDY OF COMPRESSION ALONE VERSUS NO PROPHYLAXIS
Cg. Fisher et al., EFFECTIVENESS OF PNEUMATIC LEG COMPRESSION DEVICES FOR THE PREVENTIONOF THROMBOEMBOLIC DISEASE IN ORTHOPEDIC TRAUMA PATIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED STUDY OF COMPRESSION ALONE VERSUS NO PROPHYLAXIS, Journal of orthopaedic trauma, 9(1), 1995, pp. 1-7
A prospective, randomized clinical trial in 304 orthopaedic trauma pat
ients with hip and pelvic fractures was conducted to investigate the e
ffectiveness of pneumatic sequential leg compression devices (PSLCDs)
for the prevention of thromboembolic disease. The control group receiv
ed no specific form of prophylaxis. Patients were followed by venous D
oppler, duplex scan, and ventilation perfusion lung scans. The study e
nd-point was documented pulmonary embolism and/or deep vein thrombosis
. The incidence of a venous thromboembolic event in the control group
was 11% and in the experimental group 4%. This difference was statisti
cally significant (p = 0.02). These patients were also stratified into
hip and pelvic fracture groups. In the hip fracture patients, the con
trol group had a thromboembolic event incidence of 12% and the experim
ental group 4%. This difference was also statistically significant (p
= 0.03). In the pelvic fracture group there was a thromboembolic incid
ence of 11% in the controls, demonstrating this patient population to
be at significant risk. In this group, the PSLCDs were not statistical
ly shown to be effective. Pneumatic leg compression devices are effect
ive in reducing the incidence of thromboembolic events in patients wit
h hip fractures.