ENDORSE highlights VTE prophylaxis shortfall

Findings from the ENDORSE study, which looked at the current state of venous thromboembolism management in hospitals, suggest that patients at high risk of VTE are not being provided with adequate prophylactic treatment. The results, which included data from more than 60,000 patients at 358 acute care centers around the world, were unveiled at the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis in Geneva, Switzerland.

The survey, which was conducted by the Center for Outcomes Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and was funded by a grant from French drug major Sanofi-Aventis, was designed to assess both the prevalence of VTE risk in the acute hospital setting and the current practices used for preventative therapy.

The results showed that around 52% of those surveyed were at risk for VTE, 64% of whom were surgical patients. These findings were consistent across all the countries involved in the study, indicating the importance of VTE risk on a global scale. In addition, only 50% of hospitalized patients received prophylactic treatment, as recommended by the American College of Chest Physicans.