2007/021 NICE guideline to reduce life-threatening blood clots in surgical patients

New guidelines launched today by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are set to tackle the continuing problem of potentially life-threatening venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) in patients who have undergone surgery. The guideline, produced for NICE by the National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care (NCC-AC), is the culmination of the most comprehensive review and analysis of the available evidence on ways to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) yet carried out. The guideline covers all patients admitted to hospital for an operation requiring an overnight stay.