Venous thromboembolism after cerebral infarction and the prophylactic effect of dextran 40

In a prospective study of the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after stroke, and the prophylactic effect of dextran, 50 patients, admitted with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction with paresis of the lower extremity within the first 48 hours, were randomly allocated to treatment or non-treatment groups. The treatment group received 500 ml of dextran 40 on admission and on days 1 and 2, and 250 ml on days 4 and 6. Venesection was performed on admission and if necessary on day 1. The control group received no dextran or venesection. DVT was diagnosed with the 125I-fibrinogen test during the first ten days. The incidence of DVT was 54% in the treatment group and 50% in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding number of DVTs needing treatment, number of positive scanning points or number of days for scan to become positive. Lethal pulmonary emboli occurred in one treated and in three control patients, respectively. Age and progress of neurologic symptoms predisposed for the development of DVT. The high incidence of DVT in stroke patients indicates the need for prophylactic routines.