BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a multidisciplinary and frequent disease, also including complications such as pulmonary thromboembolism. Mechanical prophylaxis is one of the best (due to its low cost and proven effectiveness) and simplest means to reduce its incidence; therefore, investigating its use as an attempt to enhance benefits to the patient and hospital service is of great importance. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of mechanical prophylaxis for DVT at the Emergency Room Dr. Armando Lages in Maceió, Brazil. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study at the emergency room was carried out for an 8-month period. The sample was composed of 282 patients admitted to the nursing wards of various specialties. Data were collected from medical records and by patient interview. Each patient"s medical record was searched for use of mechanical prophylaxis for DVT, in addition to several factors for risk stratification, according to the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and chi-square test, considering p < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 282 patients were analyzed, 181 (64%) men and 101 (36%) women, mean age of 54.1 years. Classification of risk was as follows: 210 (74.5%) were classified as high risk, 56 (19.8%) as moderate risk, and 16 (5.7%) as low risk. Of all patients, 234 (83%) did not received prophylaxis and 48 (17%) did. There was no statistical difference between the data obtained in the research and those found in the literature (p = 0.065). CONCLUSIONs: Despite having its efficacy confirmed, mechanical prophylaxis for DVT has not reached satisfactory levels of use.
Venous thrombosis; prophylaxis; thromboembolism
