Comparison of 125I fibrinogen count scanning with phlebography for detection of venous thrombi after elective hip surgery.

A comparison was made of 125I fibrinogen count scanning and phlebography in 142 limbs of 83 patients without known prior deep venous thrombosis who underwent total hip replacement. A localized accumulation of fibrinogen located away from the hip wound represented a fresh thrombus in 25 of 29 cases (86 per cent). However, of all the fresh thrombi demonstrated by phlebography, the fibrinogen scan detected only approximately 50 per cent. Major reasons for failure to detect thrombi were the presence of the wound and the small size of some thrombi. In defining whether or not fresh venous thrombosis was present in a given patient, the scan was accurate in three quarters of the cases. We conclude that fibrinogen scanning is a useful examination in patients after elective hip surgery, but less accurate than previously reported.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes