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A high proportion of patients hospitalized for surgery or acute medical illness are at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), yet many do not receive thromboprophylaxis. This update to the American Journal of Medicine, authored by Judd Hollander, MD, MPH, Professor and Clinical Research Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, reviews the current medical literature on the epidemiology of VTE and the characteristics and clinical conditions that place patients at risk. It examines several currently used methods for VTE risk stratification and discusses how effective risk stratification can be accomplished in the emergency department. |