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● The VTE risk is usually estimated in the context of hospitalisation. But note that the deployed VTE pharmacoprophylaxis is continued after hospital discharge following certain procedures and in patients with risk factors or with leg fractures.
● Most common patient-specific risk factors are chronic pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, and obesity, in addition to VTE history, varicose veins or venous insufficiency, thrombophilia, post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy, long term immobility, pregnancy, contraceptives, hemiplegia, acute infection, and shock.
● Patient-specific risk factors are aggravated by treatment-related ones such as ICU treatment, central venous catheter, mechanical ventilation, and the type and length of the planned surgical intervention and of the resulting patient's immobility (partial or total).
● In consequence of the multitude of potential risk factors, VTE risk is increased in approximately 40% of conservatively and 60% of interventionally-treated hospitalized patients.
● There is no universally accepted risk assessment score but pharmacoprophylaxis is indicated in all but "low-risk" patients.