This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Bromfield, E. B. Articles by Reding, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bromfield, E. B. Articles by Reding, M. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Relative Risk of Deep Venous Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism Post-Stroke Based on Ambulatory Status

From the Department of Neurology, Cornell University "Medical College at The Burke Rehabilitation Center, White Plains. NY, U.S.A

Michael J. Reding

From the Department of Neurology, Cornell University "Medical College at The Burke Rehabilitation Center, White Plains. NY, U.S.A

During a 2-month rehabilitation hospital stay, 22 of 920 patients with stroke (2.4%) developed clinically significant venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications : nine deep venous thromboses (DVT), nine pulmonary emboli (PE), and four DVT and PE combined. Patients with VTE complications could be distinguished from 22 randomly selected controls by ambulatory status, presence of sensory deficit, and amount of motor recovery. The relative risk of VTE complications was estimated by odds ratio analysis with significance assessed using the Chi-square statistic. There was a fivefold reduction in relative risk of VTE complication once patients were able to walk 50 feet (15 m) irrespective of devices used or amount of therapist assistance required. There was a 12-fold reduction in relative risk once patients were able to ambulate away from a fixed hemibar irrespective of bracing requirements, use of a cane, or amount of therapist assistance needed. These data suggest that early ambulation at the hemibar using whatever bracing and/or therapist assistance required is associated with a significant reduction in VTE complication rate. Once patients are able to walk away from the hemibar, the risk of VTE complication is reduced still further, decreasing the need for subsequent VTE prophylaxis.

Key Words: Relative risk • —Deep venous thrombosis • —Pulmonary embolus • —Stroke • —Ambulatory status.

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Vol. 2, No. 2, 51-57 (1988)
DOI: 10.1177/136140968800200202


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?