Prevalence of deep vein thrombosis in patients with paraplegia caused by traumas

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis is a common disease among people who are immobilized. Immobility is inherent to paraplegia and leads to venous stasis, which is one of the factors covered by Virchow's triad describing its development. Trauma is the primary cause of paraplegia and is currently increasing at a rate of 4% per year. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis in paraplegic patients whose paraplegia was caused by traumas, using color Doppler ultrasonography for diagnosis. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study of 30 trauma-induced paraplegia patients, selected after analysis of medical records at the neurosurgery department of a University Hospital in Curitiba, Brazil, and by a proactive survey of associations that care for the physically disabled. The prevalence of deep vein thrombosis was analyzed using 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Spinal cord trauma was the cause of paraplegia in 29 patients. The most common cause of trauma was gunshot wounding, reported by 17 patients. Deep vein thrombosis was diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonography in 14 patients in the sample. The most often affected vein was the posterior tibial, in 11 patients. The left lower limb was involved three times more often than the right. Edema was observed in 25 individuals, cyanosis in 14, ulcers in 8 and localized increase in temperature in 13. CONCLUSIONS: Deep vein thrombosis was prevalent, occurring in 46.7% of the patients.