Venous thrombosis after acute spinal cord injury: Cost analysis of prophylaxis guidelines

Objective: Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are major complications associated with acute spinal cord injury. The purpose of this study was to perform a cost analysis on the two pharmacoprophylaxis regimens suggested for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis in this population. Methods: Efficacy and safety data were obtained from the literature. Results: Results of the cost analysis demonstrates that adjusted dose unfractionated heparin produces a cost savings over enoxaparin at 30 mg every 12 hr. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to determine the most cost-effective therapy for preventing deep vein thrombi in this population.