[Prevention of thrombosis. Surgical departments in Norway]

Routine perioperative thrombo-embolic prophylaxis was studied by means of a questionnaire to departments of abdominal, orthopedic, urological and gynecological surgery. 171 departments in university, central and county hospitals answered, giving a response rate of 92%. It was found that 90% of the departments in all hospital categories used routine prophylaxis. This practice was most frequent in orthopedics and least frequent in urology. Dextran was preferred in all three hospital categories. Central and county hospitals also applied heparin and heparin/dihydroergotamin. Heparin was always given as 5,000 IU subcutaneously twice daily. Heparin/dihydroergotamin was equally often given as 2,500 IU as 5,000 IU twice daily, irrespective of the kind of surgery. Indications of thrombo-embolic prophylaxis varied within each surgical speciality. The prophylaxis regimen was chosen mostly on medical grounds. The convenience of the nurses was seldom and economic differences only infrequently considered of importance for the choice of prophylaxis regimen.