Venous thromboembolism events in trauma patients after hospital discharge

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common after major injury. This elevated VTE risk likely continues beyond hospital discharge, but a lack of postdischarge surveillance limits our understanding of this complication and opportunities for improving outcomes. We aimed to characterize the incidence and risk factors of trauma patients who developed a VTE in the first year after discharge from their index hospital admission.

We used data from adult inpatients (18 years or older) from 35 American College of Surgeons - Committee on Trauma-verified Level 1 and Level 2 trauma centers in a statewide trauma quality improvement program from 2018 to 2023. The incidence and timing of a postdischarge VTE were identified from linked longitudinal insurance claims data, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of a postdischarge event.

Of 34,421 trauma registry and claims matched patients identified, 1,487 (4.3%) developed a VTE within the first year after discharge from the trauma center, compared with 280 VTE events (0.8%) diagnosed during the index admission. The incidence of VTE remained elevated well after discharge, with 40% occurring in the first 30 days and 73% within the first 3 months. Multiple patient, injury, and treatment factors were associated with postdischarge VTE risk, including having an operation, a significant spine injury, Black race, and receiving a blood transfusion.

The risk of VTE extends well beyond the index hospitalization for trauma patients, as the majority of events occur after discharge. Understanding and improving VTE outcomes in trauma patients will require a longitudinal patient record that captures these complications. Postdischarge VTEs are an underrecognized trauma-related morbidity but are also very treatable through a better understanding of the risk factors and the optimal prophylactic strategy.

Prognostic and Epidemiologic; Level IV.