title: UK national survey of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in ankle fracture patients treated with plaster casts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ankle fractures are one of the commonest orthopaedic injuries. A substantial proportion of these are treated non-operatively at outpatient clinics with cast immobilization. We conducted this survey to assess the current practice in UK regarding thromboembolism prophylaxis in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A telephonic survey was carried out on junior doctors within orthopaedic departments of 56 hospitals across the UK. A questionnaire was completed regarding venous thromboembolism risk assessment, prophylaxis, hospital guidelines, etc.
  
  
  RESULTS
  84% (n=47) hospitals did not routinely use any prophylaxis for these patients, while 7% (n=4) hospitals used chemo-prophylaxis. Only 5.3% (n=3) hospitals had DVT prophylaxis guidelines regarding these patients while other 9% (n=5) hospitals were in process of developing such guidelines. In 64% (n=36) hospitals, no formal DVT risk assessment was carried out.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large variation exists across NHS hospitals and a poor risk assessment is being carried out in these patients. Development of local guidelines and extension of national guidelines to include high risk outpatients may improve the situation.
authors.affiliation: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leighton Hospital, Crewe, CW1 4QJ, UK. hafjavaid@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hafiz Javaid
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Raef
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahab
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002370:Casts, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants