title: A national house-staff audit of medical prophylaxis in medical patients for the PREVENTion of Venous ThromboEmbolism (PREVENT-VTE).
abstract: We established a national audit to assess the thromboprophylaxis rate for venous thromoembolism (VTE) in at risk medical patients in acute hospitals in the Republic of Ireland and to determine whether the use of stickers to alert physicians regarding thromboprophylaxis would double the rate prophylaxis in a follow-up audit. 651 acute medical admission patients in the first audit and 524 in the second re-audit were recruited. The mean age was 66.5 yrs with similar numbers of male and female patients and 265 (22.6%) patients were active smokers. The first and second audits identified 549 (84%) and 487 (93%) of patients at-risk for VTE respectively. Of the at-risk patients, 163 (29.7%) and 132 (27.1%) received LMWH in the first and second audit respectively. Mechanical thromboprophylaxis was instigated in 75 (13.6%) patients in the first and 86 (17.7%) patients in the second audit. The placement of stickers in patient charts didn't produce a significant increase in the number of at risk patients treated in the second audit. There is unacceptably low adherence to the ACCP guidelines in Ireland and more complex intervention than chart reminders are required to improve compliance.
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adamali
authors.affiliation: Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, Co Kerry.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Suliman
authors.affiliation: Waterford Regional Hospital, Dunmore Rd, Waterford.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zaid
authors.affiliation: Waterford Regional Hospital, Dunmore Rd, Waterford.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.affiliation: Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Co Limerick.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Co Limerick.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Suliman
authors.affiliation: Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: Sligo General Hospital, The Mall, Sligo.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.affiliation: Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
authors.forename: A Ibrahim
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Yearoo
authors.affiliation: Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Javid
authors.affiliation: St John's Hospital, St John's Square, Limerick.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.affiliation: Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bolger
authors.affiliation: Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dunican
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCullagh
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lonergan
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.affiliation: Letterkenny General Hospital, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles St, Dublin 7.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards; D017010:Reminder Systems; D018570:Risk Assessment; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*