Low dose heparin prophylaxis for deep venous thrombosis in acute spinal cord injury patients: a controlled study

Acute spinal cord injury patients were assigned alternately to a control and a heparin prophylaxis group to determine the effect of 5,000 micro sodium heparin subcutaneously every 12 hours on the incidence of venous thrombosis as detected by impedance plethysmography of the lower extremities. Venous thrombosis was unexpectedly uncommon in both the control (I of 17) and the heparinised (1 of 15) group, suggesting an unidentified, overriding prophylactic factor.