Cost analysis of the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis in patients undergoing orthopedic arthroplastic surgery.

Guidelines for prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis secondary to orthopedic surgery have been developed. In selecting a specific drug for formulary inclusion, it is ideal for an individual institution to determine the cost of therapy, as well as the frequency of adverse events and the cost of treating them for each agent undergoing consideration. Cost-effectiveness analysis using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios and sensitivity analyses are useful for determining which drug may be most cost effective.