Reduction in deep vein thrombosis incidence in intensive care after a clinician education program

Summary.  Background : Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a major complication in intensive care units (ICU) but dedicated guidelines on its management are still lacking. Objectives and Methods : This study investigated the effect of a 1-year educational program for the implementation of DVT prophylaxis on the incidence of inferior limb DVT in a mixed-bed ICU that admits high-risk surgical and trauma patients, investigated during a first retrospective phase [126 patients, SAPS II score 42 (28–54)] and a following prospective phase [264 patients, SAPS II score II 41 (27–55)]. The role of baseline and time-dependent DVT risk factors in DVT occurrence was also investigated during the prospective phase. Results : The educational program on implementation of DVT prophylaxis was associated with a significant decrease in DVT incidence from 11.9% to 4.5% ( P  < 0.01) and in the mean length of ICU stay ( P  < 0.01). Combined with pharmacological prophylaxis, the use of elastic compressive stockings significantly also increased in the prospective phase ( P  < 0.01). The duration of mechanical ventilation, vasopressor administration and neuromuscular block were significantly different between DVT-positive and DVT-negative patients ( P  < 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified neuromuscular block as the strongest independent predictor for DVT incidence. Conclusion : One-year ICU-based educational programs on implementation of DVT prophylaxis were associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of DVT and also in the length of stay in ICU.