An NHS success story that should be exported globally
Venous thromboembolism is a serious healthcare problem affecting over 1 in 1000 adults worldwide annually. Epidemiological studies have shown that before the use of thromboprophylaxis in hospital, 55-60% of all venous thromboembolisms were related to hospital admission, occurring either in hospital or within 90 days after discharge.
Over 10% of deaths in hospital are related to pulmonary emboli, and autopsy studies show that many (two thirds in one study) are missed. Thus the latest figures on prevention of venous thromboembolism from NHS England are to be celebrated. They show that since a systematic approach to preventing hospital associated venous thromboembolism was introduced in 2010, there has been a 15.4% reduction in deaths within 90 days after discharge.