Updated guidance on venous thromboembolism (VTE) from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims to reduce the risk of VTE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in people aged 16 and over in hospital.
Venous thromboembolism in over 16s: reducing the risk of hospital-acquired deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism aims to help healthcare professionals identify people most at risk of VTE and describes treatments and interventions that can be used. The National Guideline Centre (NGC), which is hosted by the RCP, has developed the new guideline for NICE in order to update the previous recommendations published in 2010.
Who is the guideline for?
The recommendations cover people who are most at risk of VTE, including:
- patients discharged from hospital with lower limb devices such as plaster casts and braces
- patients attending hospital for day procedures, including cancer treatment and surgery
- pregnant women admitted to hospital or a midwife-led unit including up to 6 weeks after giving birth.
You can read the full guidance and recommendations on NICE's website.