Prevention of pulmonary emboli in hospitalized patients.

The risk of pulmonary infarction in any hospitalized population is high. To decrease this dreaded complication, the high risk population must be identified. These are chiefly elderly patients with a history of previous DVTP, cancer, cardiac disease, trauma to a lower limb or a history of recent surgery. All methods of reducing venous stasis should be used, and most of these patients should be treated prophylactically with subcutaneous heparin.