Summary
Venous thromboembolic disease (VTD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, mainly in those undergoing surgery. In this setting, the development of convenient and safe prophylactic measures has become a need. The main role in fulfilling this need is currently played by the so-called low molecular weight heparins (LMWH), among which one of the latest discoveries is bemiparin, a second-generation LMWH. This is a non-randomized, prospective, observational, hospital pharmacovigilance study aimed at assessing the efficacy and tolerability of bemiparin in patients undergoing abdominal wall surgery (eventrations, herniorrhaphies). For this purpose, the study included 203 patients (74% men, 26% women) from 12 Spanish centers with a mean age of 59 years and a moderate to high risk of thromboembolic complications. For subjects with a moderate risk, 2,500 IU were used, and 3,500 IU for high-risk patients, subcutaneously in a single daily dose, starting 2 hours before the procedure and continuing for the risk period or until mobilization of the patient based on medical criteria. Thromboembolic events occurred in only 1.2% of the cases (1 distal DVT and 1 PTE), and no deaths occurred. No treatment-related complications were reported in 78% of the patients, and most complications occurring were not significant: hematoma in the surgical wound, bruising at the injection site... No patient required transfusion of blood derivatives, and no significant differences were seen in laboratory parameters. The absence of treatmentrelated cases of thrombopenia should be stressed.
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Hidalgo, M., Figueroa, J.M. Prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in abdominal wall surgery. Hernia 4, 242–247 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01201075
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01201075