title: Incidence and Factors Predicting Venous Thromboembolism After Surgical Treatment of Fractures Below the Hip.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a series of patients with fractures below the hip. In addition, we sought to examine the rates of VTE before and after introduction of thromboprophylaxis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred one consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria. Of the 901 patients, 337 (37.4%) were treated before the initiation of institutional guidelines for thromboprophylaxis and 564 (62.6%) received thromboprophylaxis in accordance with our hospitalization protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical intervention for fractures occurring in the lower extremity below the hip.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptomatic thromboembolic events within 90 days of surgery and risk factors of postoperative VTE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 901 patients, 25 (2.7%) had confirmed symptomatic deep vein thrombosis and 13 (1.4%) had symptomatic pulmonary embolism. The overall incidence of symptomatic VTE was significantly different between the patients not receiving thromboprophylaxis (6.8%; 23 of 337) and those receiving thromboprophylaxis (2.3%; 13 of 564). Of the 31 variables tested for an association with VTE, an advanced age of more than 60 years, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease were independent risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically detectable VTE in fractures of the lower extremity below the hip are not uncommon, and thromboprophylaxis seemed to decrease the incidence of postoperative VTE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prognostic Level II. See the guidelines for authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
authors: *Samsung Medical center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and †Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, South Korea.
authors: Se-Jun
authors: SJ
authors: Park
authors: Chong-Kwan
authors: CK
authors: Kim
authors: Youn-Soo
authors: YS
authors: Park
authors: Young-Wan
authors: YW
authors: Moon
authors: Seung-Jae
authors: SJ
authors: Lim
authors: Sang-Min
authors: SM
authors: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011292:Premedication; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents