At least 50% of outpatients with newly diagnosed Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) have recently been hospitalised in the past, and the majority of them did not get thromboprophylaxis during their stay. Hence, inpatient deaths from pulmonary embolism are the most frequent preventable cause of mortality in the United States. As a result, every patient brought to the hospital should have their risk of VTE evaluated, and if necessary, the required thromboprophylaxis should be given.
Prophylaxis continues to be wildly underutilised despite the abundance of sizable randomised trials showing the effectiveness and safety of mechanical and pharmaceutical methods in lowering the risk for Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in a variety of hospitalised patient populations. Surgery (especially major orthopaedic and neurosurgery), serious trauma, prolonged bed rest or immobilisation, extended vehicle or aeroplane travel, a prior history of VTE, the presence of malignant disease, paralysis or paresis, morbid obesity, and advanced age are factors that enhance the risk for DVT. Interestingly, lowering low-density lipoprotein levels using proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) decreases the risk of venous thromboembolism, possibly because it lowers Lp.
