title: Current state of medical thromboprophylaxis in Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Australia has two published national guidelines for general medical thromboprophylaxis (MT), but the two differ in detail and the basis for patient selection remains uncertain. Several aspects of current guidelines are controversial, as is the proposed design of a dedicated prescribing box in the National Inpatient Medication Chart.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To discuss and comment on the current standing of medical thromboprophylaxis in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have marshalled literature known to us from our previous published research, and have applied this knowledge to discuss shortcomings, which, in our opinion, exist in current medical thromboprophylaxis practice, and to suggest solutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Australian guidelines are flawed because they are based on unsuitable evidence (incidence of subclinical thrombotic disease) and define eligibility broadly, such that about 80 per cent of patients are considered eligible. They urge that prescribers should "consider" prophylaxis without supplying an adequate basis for doing so. They do not provide grounds for assessing the balance between hazard (in the form of major bleeds) and benefit (thrombotic events avoided). Other clinical factors promoting unnecessary use of medical thromboprophylaxis include the use of age as a risk factor and proposed inclusion of a new DVT prophylaxis section in the National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC), which implicitly discourages non-prescription of prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albany Regional Hospital, Albany, Western Australia 6330, Australia.
authors.forename: Sophie E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Noel
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albany Regional Hospital, Albany, Western Australia 6330, Australia.
authors.forename: J Alasdair
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Millar
keywords: Thromboprophylaxis; guidelines; low molecular weight heparin; medical patients; risk factor analysis