TESTING A TOOL(FORM) FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS TO PREVENT DVT Essay

TESTING A TOOL(FORM) FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS TO PREVENT DVT - Essay Example Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are the main components of VTE. According to Kahn, et al, 2007, such symptomatic events are seen in medical patients that make up sixty percent of all hospital admissions. These thromboembolic events are preventable and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) constantly provides guidelines on the basis of updated evidence on the prevention of VTE (Kahn, et al, 2007). The latest guidelines from ACCP recommend the use of thromboprophylaxis options in the prevention of VTE among patients with moderate to high risk for VTE. There is strong scientific evidence supported by solid principles in the use of thromboprohylaxis as recommended by ACCP. Many of the hospitalized patients have one or more risk factors for VTE, which are usually cumulative. In the absence of any prophylaxis, objective evidence suggests that between ten to forty percent of patients admitted for medical illnesses or general surgery and forty to sixty percen t of those patients admitted for orthopedic surgery develop VTE. This gives strength to the relevance of thromboprophylaxis in hospitalized patients (Geerts, et al, 2004). However, Arnold, Kahn, and Shrier, 2001, claim that in spite of ACCP guidelines encouraging the use of thromboprophylaxis in the prevention of VTE, these guidelines are not always followed leading to the occurrence of VTE. Furthermore the inadequacy seen in the use of prophylaxis stems quite often from omission of prophylaxis (Arnold, Kahn & Shrier, 2001). The ACCP guidelines recommend the use of prophylaxis in the prevention of VTE, to reduce the mortality and morbidity of patients hospitalized for surgical procedures and medical illness. Yet, there is inadequacy in the use of prophylaxis in the prevention of VTE, which frequently is due to omission on the part of the physicians. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an