Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable cause of mortality among hospitalized patients in medical wards. Data is lacking on risk assessment and prophylaxis for medical in-patients in low resource setting.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the practice of VTE risk assessment and institution of prophylaxis for patients admitted into the medical wards of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 426 patients admitted into the medical ward of six different teaching hospitals in the country. each representing a geopolitical region in Nigeria. This was done over a four months period from July 1 to Oct 31, 2019. The case notes of these in-patients were reviewed and information on age, VTE risk assessment score, and anticoagulation use were obtained.

Results: The age of the participants ranged from 23 to 89 years (median, 58 years). Out of the 426 patients, 146 (34.2%) were on anticoagulation using either prophylaxis or therapeutic, and 74 (17.4%) had a record of VTE risk assessment score on their case files. Majority of those on anticoagulation, 130 (89%) were placed on LMWH (Clexane) only. No patient was commenced on compression stockings as a form of DVT prophylaxis.

Conclusions: There is a very poor practice of VTE risk assessment of hospitalized patients in UNTH, Nigeria. It is pertinent to identify patients at risk of developing DVT and/or pulmonary embolism, and prompt intervention instituted. This practice should be made a routine for all in-patients in related low resource settings.

Keywords: Deep Vein Thrombosis, anticoagulation, In-patients, VTE risk assessment

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/preliminary-investigation-of-venous-thromboembolism-risk-assessment-and-prophylaxis-for-medical-in-patients-a-multicenter-study-in-nigeria/