Thromboprophylaxis of venous thromboembolism
Kobayashi, T.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 72(7): 1303-1308
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 25163326 Document Number: 672590
Recently in Japan, venous thromboembolism (VTE) [deep vein thrombosis (DVT)/pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE)] has increased with the Westernization of eating habits and the aging of society. In the West, prophylactic guidelines have been discussed for many years, and, unfortunately, Japan falls far behind the West in this area. We developed Japanese Guidelines for VTE prophylaxis based on the 6th ACCP guidelines in 2004. The incidence of perioperative PTE in Japan has been investigated by the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists since 2002. The rate of perioperative PTE was estimated to be 4.76 per 10,000 operations in 2003. As we expected, it significantly decreased after the guidelines for thromboprophylaxis were issued and the management fee for PTE prophylaxis was covered by health insurance in April 2004. However, mechanical prophylaxis is not sufficient to prevent mortality rates, and advanced prophylaxis by anticoagulants, such as low-molecular-weight heparin/Xa inhibitors along with unfractionated heparin/vitamin K antagonists will be essential. As a result of use of anticoagulants, mortality rates have been significantly decreased recently.