Venous thromboembolism diagnosis and prophylaxis in the trauma population

Venous thromboembolism is a common and potentially life-threatening complication of major trauma. Despite improved methods of detection and screening in conjunction with improved treatment modalities, no one method or known combination of methods has been proven superior. As such, no definitive standard of care for diagnosis or uniform direction for prophylactic treatment exists for venous thromboembolism. Risk assessment for the trauma patient population is difficult, potentially leading to delays in treatment. This review of the current literature is designed to clarify current methods of diagnosis and prophylaxis that have been determined effective for treatment of the major trauma patient.