title: The Use of VTE prophylaxis in relatioN to patiEnt risk profiling (TUNE-IN) Wave 2 study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The TUNE-IN (The Use of VTE prophylaxis in relatioN to patiEnt risk profiling) study evaluated venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) risk assessment and prophylaxis in private medical and surgical inpatients in Gauteng Province, South Africa. The study concluded that of the 608 patients enrolled, 54.1% were clinically evaluated to be at risk for VTE. A VTE risk assessment model (RAM), the Caprini score, increased the rate to 74.6%.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  TUNE-IN Wave 2, an extension of TUNE-IN, was conducted on a national level including the public sector, focusing on surgical inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a national, prospective, non-interventional, multisite, epidemiological disease registry enrolling 453 surgical inpatients. The perceived clinical VTE risk, VTE risk score on Caprini RAM, VTE prophylaxis and clinical details were documented during a baseline visit. A bleeding risk score was provided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the cohort, 269 patients (59.4%) were assessed to be at risk for VTE before applying the RAM. All patients (100%), however, were at risk on the RAM score. Early mobilisation and assessment of the VTE risk as low were the most frequent reasons for non-prescription of prophylaxis. Only 15 patients in the private and 2 in the public sector were assessed as having a bleeding risk. Chemoprophylaxis differed between the healthcare sectors, with low-molecular-weight heparin predominating in the private sector and unfractionated heparin being prescribed only in the public sector.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis need to improve in both the public and the private sectors. A formal RAM will improve identification of patients at risk of VTE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa. barryj@mweb.co.za.
authors.forename: Barry F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Louw
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Riback