Abstract:
Background: Despite numerous guidelines and consensus statements on venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, there appears to be a large gap between evidence and practice. Aim: To identify the incidence of VTE, thromboprophylaxis practice, VTE risk factors, and bleeding complications in patients undergoing elective total hip or knee arthroplasty. Method: Patients who underwent elective total hip or knee arthroplasty from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2005 were identified retrospectively from medical records at two hospitals. A clinical case audit was performed and data collected on the 3- month incidence of VTE, thromboprophylaxis practice, VTE risk factors and bleeding episodes.
