title: Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in the pediatric trauma patient.
abstract: Although venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in less than 1% of hospitalized pediatric trauma patients, care providers must make decisions about VTE prophylaxis on a daily basis. The consequences of VTE are significant; the risks of developing VTE are variable; and the effectiveness of prophylaxis against VTE is not conclusive in children. While the value of VTE prophylaxis is well defined in adult trauma care, it is unclear how this translates to the care of injured children. This review evaluates the incidence and risks of VTE in pediatric trauma and assesses the merits of prophylaxis in children. Pharmacologic prophylaxis against VTE is a reasonable strategy in critically injured adolescent trauma patients. Further study is needed to establish the risks and benefits of VTE prophylaxis across the spectrum of injured children.
authors.affiliation: Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157. Electronic address: jpetty@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Petty
mesh_terms: D018890:Chemoprevention; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D065129:Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; D011292:Premedication; D012307:Risk Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Deep venous thrombosis; Pediatric; Prevention; Pulmonary embolism; Trauma; Venous thromboembolism