Instituting Change in Blood Clot Prophylaxis Protocol for Perioperative Patients

Abstract

Perioperative blood clots are a common, preventable occurrence in the healthcare setting. Patients undergoing surgery are at high risk for developing a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolus (PE) for a variety of reasons. Mechanical venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis using either sequential compression devices or compression stockings has been shown to be effective at preventing blood clots in this patient population. However, compliance with these devices can be hard to achieve. The purpose of this project was to implement a series of changes in mechanical VTE prophylaxis protocols, with a goal of decreasing the number of perioperative blood clots at a small, rural hospital in eastern North Carolina. Interventions were implemented over a 12-week period consisting of six Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle reviews. Although staff rated themselves as more knowledgeable and confident about blood clots and mechanical VTE prophylaxis after education, mechanical VTE compliance rates did not significantly increase. No blood clots were found during the implementation period. There are several implications from these findings for healthcare systems, including decreased harm to the patient population and decreased costs for healthcare organizations.