Perioperative venous thromboembolic events (VTE): Can we lower the risk ever further?

摘要

Webster's dictionary defines "further" as advancing in degree or quantity. Venous thromboembolic events (VTE) are now viewed as a quality-of-care metric by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and The Joint Commission. These organizations now view certain events, such as postoperative wound infections and readmissions within 30 d, as preventable outcomes. Both physicians and hospitals will likely be further penalized for what the government and other payers view as preventable events, such as VTE, even though practicing physicians believe that such a view is unrealistic and is based at least in part in an effort to lower costs.