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A postal survey of current thromboprophylactic practices of consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the treatment of fracture of the hip

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, Fife KY2 0TT, UK.

Correspondence should be sent to Mr I. J. Brenkel; e-mail: ivanbrenkel{at}yahoo.co.uk

Despite increasing scientific investigation, the best method for preventing post-operative deep-vein thrombosis remains unclear. In the wake of the publication of the Pulmonary Embolism Prevention trial and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) on the prevention of thromboembolism, we felt that it was timely to survey current thromboprophylactic practices. Questionnaires were sent to all consultants on the register of the British Orthopaedic Association. The rate of response was 62%. The survey showed a dramatic change in practice towards the use of chemoprophylaxis since the review by Morris and Mitchell in 1976. We found that there was a greater uniformity of opinion and prescribing practices in Scotland, consistent with the SIGN guidelines, than in the rest of the UK. We argue in favour of the use of such documents which are based on a qualitative review of current scientific literature.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. HEYBURN A postal survey of current thromboprophylactic practices of consultant orthopaedic surgeons in the treatment of fracture of the hip J Bone Joint Surg Br, October 1, 2005; 87-B(10): 1445 - 1446. [Full Text] [PDF]

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