title: Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in critically ill patients.
abstract: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent but often silent complication of critical illness that has a negative impact on patient outcomes. The prevention of VTE is an essential component of patient care in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, and is the focus of this article. The use of anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis significantly decreases the risk of VTE in ICU patients and is discussed at length.
authors.affiliation: Thromboembolism Service, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada. anne.mcleod@sunnybrook.ca
authors.forename: Anne G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geerts
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight