Impact of institutional prophylaxis guidelines on rates of pediatric venous thromboembolism following trauma - A multicenter study from the pediatric trauma society research committee

BACKGROUND A paucity of data exists with regard to the incidence, management, and outcomes of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in injured children. We sought to determine the impact of institutional chemoprophylaxis guidelines on VTE rates in a pediatric trauma population. METHODS A retrospective review of injured children (≤15 years) admitted between 2009 and 2018 at 10 pediatric trauma centers was performed. Data were gathered from institutional trauma registries and dedicated chart review. The institutions were surveyed as to whether they had chemoprophylaxis guidelines in place for high-risk pediatric trauma patients, and outcomes were compared based on the presence of guidelines using χ2 analysis (p < 0.05). RESULTS There were 45,202 patients evaluated during the study period. Three institutions (28,359 patients, 63%) had established chemoprophylaxis policies during the study period ("Guidelines"); the other seven centers (16,843 patients, 37%) had no such guidelines ("Standard"). There were significantly lower rates of VTE in the Guidelines group, but these patients also had significantly fewer risk factors. Among critically injured children with similar clinical presentations, there was no difference in VTE rate. Specifically within the Guidelines group, 30 children developed VTE. The majority (17/30) were actually not indicated for chemoprophylaxis based on institutional guidelines. Still, despite protocols only one VTE patient in the guidelines group who was indicated for intervention ended up receiving chemoprophylaxis prior to diagnosis. No consistent ultrasound screening protocol was in place at any institution during the study. CONCLUSION The presence of an institutional policy to guide chemoprophylaxis for injured children is associated with a decreased overall frequency of VTE, but this disappears when controlling for patient factors. However, the overall efficacy is impacted by a combination of deficits in guideline compliance and structure. Further prospective data are needed to help determine the ideal role for chemoprophylaxis and protocols in pediatric trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.