profession
Stockings ruled out in fight against deadly blood clots
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 21, 2011
Physicians should steer clear of ordering compression stockings for hospitalized nonsurgical patients, because they do not cut the risk of pulmonary embolism and can damage patients' skin, according to American College of Physicians guidelines published in the Nov. 1 Annals of Internal Medicine (link).
The college also recommends giving blood thinners to nonsurgical patients for whom the benefits outweigh the likely bleeding risks. The medicine helps prevent sometimes deadly pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thromboses, the internists organization said, but the drug can raise the risk of bleeding. Although the trend in hospitals has been toward taking anti-blood-clotting measures with all nonsurgical patients, not just those with stroke, the college advised against universal prevention efforts. Physicians should assess the thromboembolism and bleeding risks of each patient before giving blood thinners, the college said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/11/21/prbf1121.htm.
