Thromboprophylaxis in medical and surgical patients undergoing physical medicine and rehabilitation: consensus recommendations.

Venous thromboembolism (deep venous thrombosis with or without its major complication, pulmonary embolism) commonly occurs in patients undergoing rehabilitative therapy for various surgical or traumatic conditions and in patients with incapacitating medical illnesses. Thromboprophylaxis utilizes medications that interfere with the coagulation process and mechanical measures such as graded elastic stockings and intermittent pneumatic compression. To obtain a range of expert opinion on the optimal use of the numerous antithrombotic modalities now available, a consortium comprising clinical directors at a number of rehabilitative centers in south Florida met to review the literature on thromboprophylaxis in rehabilitation patients and to discuss the strategies followed at their respective facilities. The consortium then assembled a set of recommendations based on available evidence-based literature and established consensus on acceptable forms of thromboprophylaxis in each clinical condition in rehabilitation associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism.