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Venous thromboembolism ( VTE ) prophylaxis and urological pelvic cancer surgery: a UK national audit
Author(s) -
Pridgeon Simon,
Allchorne Paula,
Turner Bruce,
Peters John,
Green James
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/bju.12693
Subject(s) - medicine , nice , perioperative , prostatectomy , venous thromboembolism , bladder cancer , cancer , low molecular weight heparin , cystectomy , prostate cancer , audit , general surgery , surgery , heparin , thrombosis , computer science , programming language , management , economics
Objectives To evaluate the use of post‐discharge venous thromboembolism ( VTE ) prophylaxis in UK pelvic cancer centres consistent with national guidelines. Methods Data was collected from healthcare professionals from 64 UK pelvic cancer centres. Results After radical cystectomy ( RC ), all cancer centres routinely use low‐molecular‐weight heparin ( LMWH ) in the perioperative period. After RC 67% of cancer centres use post‐discharge LMWH routinely. After radical prostatectomy ( RP ), 98% of units use perioperative LMWH VTE prophylaxis routinely. After RP , 61% of hospitals always use post‐discharge LMWH . In all, 27% of all UK cancer centres reported deaths or serious VTE complications from urological pelvic cancer surgery in the last 2 years. Conclusions The N ational I nstitute for H ealth and C are E xcellence ( NICE ) issued explicit guidance of VTE prophylaxis after pelvic and abdominal cancer surgery. Conversion of national guidance into local policy is ≈60% for UK pelvic cancer centres. A lack of good quality evidence is cited as a reason for not adhering to NICE guidance.