Early Chemoprophylaxis in Severely Injured Trauma Patients Reduces Risk of Venous Thromboembolism

Abstract

Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a serious complication for trauma patients. While early VTE prophylaxis has gained traction, the timing of prophylaxis remains uncertain. We hypothesized that VTE prophylaxis within 24 hours of admission would have lower VTE rates and similar rates of adverse events in seriously injured patients. Methods Trauma patients were included from 32 American College of Surgeons verified Level 1 and 2 trauma centers over a 10-year period. Patients with injury severity score (ISS) <15, death or discharge within 48 hours of arrival, or who received no prophylaxis were excluded. Results 14 096 patients received VTE prophylaxis with an ISS of ≥15. Patients given prophylaxis at <24 hours had fewer VTE events and trended toward fewer serious in-hospital complications. Mortality and return to the operating room were similar across groups. Hospital and intensive care unit length of stay in the <24 hours prophylaxis group was significantly shorter when VTE prophylaxis was initiated earlier. Conclusions In severely injured trauma patients with ISS >15, early VTE prophylaxis within 24 hours significantly reduced the risk of VTE as compared with delayed prophylaxis. Early chemoprophylaxis was found to be efficacious in reducing the incidence of VTE; however, the safety of this practice should be evaluated by future prospective studies.