A survey of knowledge and application of mechanical thromboprophylaxis among the medical staff of intensive care units in North China

Mechanical prophylaxis with graduated compression stockings (GCS) or intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is suggested for patients who are bleeding or at high risk for major bleeding. Objectives To explore how intensive care unit (ICU) medical staff in North China comprehend and practice mechanical thromboprophylaxis. Methods Questionnaires comprising 39 questions including 4 dimensions of thromboprophylaxis were administered in ICUs in North China. Results Fifty‐two ICUs were surveyed from September 2014 to January 2015. A total of 2500 questionnaires were sent and 1861 were returned, corresponding to approximately 74.4%. Approximately 52.30% of all surveyed medical staff indicated they often practiced mechanical thromboprophylaxis. Twenty‐five percentage of them never used or had never heard of mechanical thromboprophylaxis. Thirty‐eight percent and twenty‐four percent of them doubted the effectiveness of GCS and IPC respectively. Regarding the use of GCS, 50.2% of them were concerned about skin injury, 57.4% were concerned about difficulty with removal and 57.6% were anxious about discomfort. Thirty‐five percent of the medical staff feared the ease of thrombus release during IPC thromboprophylaxis. Conclusions A wide gap exists with regards to the knowledge and application of mechanical thromboprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) between the medical staff of our country and abroad. Strengthened standardized training may help medical staff improve their understanding and application of mechanical thromboprophylaxis. Amelioration of concerns regarding IPC and GCS could help increase the rate of mechanical thromboprophylaxis for VTE, reduce the occurrence of VTE in ICUs and improve the prognosis of these critically ill patients.