Treatment(s) to prevent blood clots must be administered to the patient at the right time to prevent blood
clots forming after selected surgeries. A number of factors can increase a patient's risk of developing blood clots, but
doctors can order preventive treatments called
prophylaxis to reduce the risk. Prophylaxis
may include blood thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical
air stockings that promote circulation in the legs. This measure indicates how often surgery patients received treatment to prevent blood
clots within 24 hours before or after certain surgeries.
Why is it important?
Venous thrombosis is a condition where a blood clot (thrombus) forms in a vein.
This clot can limit blood flow, causing swelling, redness and pain. Most commonly,
clots occur in the legs, thigh, or pelvis. If a part, or all, of the clot breaks off where it was formed, it can travel through
the veins. The part that breaks off is called an em bolus. If the em bolus lodges
in the lung, it is called a pulmonary embolism, a serious condition that can cause
death.
The chart above shows how often surgery patients received treatment to prevent blood
clots within 24 hours before or after certain surgeries.