BMJ  2008;336:1330 (14 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39605.632257.DB

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Fewer than one in five joint replacement patients receives anticoagulants after discharge

David Spurgeon

1 Quebec

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Fewer than one in five elderly patients received anticoagulants after discharge from hospital after undergoing hip or knee replacement, a study has shown (CMAJ 2008;178:1545-54). Such patients are at high risk of developing venous thromboembolism.

Patients who were prescribed these drugs had a lower risk of short term mortality, but the benefits of and barriers to thromboprophylaxis after discharge in this population need further study, say the researchers.

The authors of a related commentary say that the study highlights the need for greater awareness of the importance of evidence based prophylaxis in high risk surgical populations. But they note that the paper contains several limitations that reduce its impact and say that strategies are needed, such as standardised care plans, to ensure that appropriate care continues after discharge from hospital (CMAJ 2008;178:1571-2).

This retrospective cohort study used summary records of hospital discharges, doctors’ billing information, reimbursement claims for . . . [Full text of this article]


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