Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in elderly hip-fracture patients by using the duplex scanning technique

To detect the incidence of preoperative and postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in elderly patients with hip fracture, 100 patients aged 65 years and older with either a subcapital or intertrochanteric hip fracture were evaluated by duplex beta-mode ultrasonography. Treatment was based on each scan result: if evidence for DVT was seen, the patient was therapeutically anticoagulated; lacking signs of DVT, patients were treated prophylactically. Before their operation, 77 patients (77%) had normal results of their scans, while DVT was diagnosed in 12 patients (12%). An additional 11 patients (11%) developed DVT after the operation. The total incidence of DVT in this series was 23%.