Venous thromboembolism after trauma: a never event?

• Published in: Critical care medicine Vol. 40; no. 11; p. 2967
• Main Authors: Thorson, Chad M, Ryan, Mark L, Van Haren, Robert M, Curia, Emiliano, Barrera, Jose M, Guarch, Gerardo A, Busko, Alexander M, Namias, Nicholas, Livingstone, Alan S, Proctor, Kenneth G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2012
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Medicare; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Population Surveillance; Prospective Studies; Qualitative Research; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Reimbursement Mechanisms - economics; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Factors; Trauma Centers; United States; Venous Thromboembolism - epidemiology; Venous Thromboembolism - etiology; Venous Thromboembolism - prevention & control; United States

Rates of venous thromboembolism as high as 58% have been reported after trauma, but there is no widely accepted screening protocol. If Medicare adds venous thromboembolism to the list of "preventable complications," they will no longer reimburse for treatment, which could have devastating...