Venous thromboembolism risk among hospitalized patients

Venous thrombosis (VTE), the formation of blood clots in a vein, is a major health problem for hospitalized patients in the United States. In the short term, VTE can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), typically in the legs, and pulmonary embolism (PE), which occurs when a piece of the blood clot migrates into an artery of the lungs. Evidence implicates PE in up to 10 percent of sudden in-hospital deaths. In the long term, VTE can lead to post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), marked by persistent leg pain, swelling, and cramps, or pulmonary hypertension. Fortunately, such dire complications are easy to avoid through preventive strategies, from compression boots to anti-clotting medications....

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