Information for Medical Professionals

Multiple ultrasounds could be unnecessary for detecting DVT

The use of multiple ultrasound scans in patients with suspected lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may be unnecessary.

According to new research published on Ortho Supersite, withholding anticoagulation treatment following a negative whole-leg compression ultrasound in patients with suspected lower extremity DVT is associated with just a 0.57 per cent risk of developing venous thromboembolism during a three-month follow-up period.

"Using a single negative whole-leg compression ultrasound result as the sole diagnostic modality in patients with high pretest probability of deep vein thrombosis requires further study," Stacy A. Johnson, a lead author of the study, said.

"Because only one to two per cent of repeat compression ultrasound tests detect thrombus propagation, many repeat studies are conducted to detect a small number of DVTs."

Research published in the British Medical Journal last year showed that patients undergoing total hip or total knee replacement surgery are at a heightened risk of suffering from thromboembolism up to a year after the procedure has been carried out.

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