In 2004, North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Miss., had about 7.6 cases of DVT per 1,000 patients. It began using a protocol, or list of risk factors, that prompts each physician to assess incoming patients for risk. When appropriate, doctors then are prompted to order anticoagulant therapy and other preventive measures.
A year later, the hospital had one case of DVT per 1,000 patients, and in the past year, there hasn't been a single case of pulmonary embolism in a surgical patient, says Michael O'Dell, the hospital's chief quality officer.
The article doesn't mention anything about how many cases of severe bleeding have occured due to the anticoagulants. Believe me in happens as I have seen many cases of significant hemorrhage with all the DVT prophyaxis going on. Increased hospital stays are being recorded as minimally invasive procedures are put off a day or two until the lovenox wears off. Compression stockings and early ambulation are effective in all but high risk fracture or trauma cases without the bleeding risk.
Hospitals are pushing the anticoagulation so as not incur a Medicare reimbursement penalty.
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