Knowledge of venous thromboembolism, practice patterns and preferences for thromboprophylaxis: findings from medical practitioners in south-south Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes unsuspected clots and massive embolisms causing death. Its prevention is hinged on risk assessment and prophylaxis. Objective: The study assessed the Knowledge of Venous thromboembolism and the Practice pattern and preferences for thromboprophylaxis among Medical Practitioners in a Southern Nigerian State.
Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was carried out among Doctors who attended the 2022 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of a Nigerian Medical Association branch.
Results: One hundred and eighty-one doctors with a mean age of 38.8 ± 8.1 years and median years of practice of 10 years participated. The majority (43.7%) worked in tertiary settings, practiced in urban locations (66.8%), and were medical officers (32.0%). Most respondents had good knowledge of VTE (64.0%), its risk stratification (63.5%), and assessment guidelines (47.0%), but only 26.0% practiced risk stratification and chemoprophylaxis. There was no relationship between age, sex, type and years of practice, practice location, and both level of knowledge and the practice of venous thromboembolism risk stratification(P>0.05). Early mobilization (93.6%) was the most practiced preventive measure, followed by chemo-thromboprophylaxis (76.6%), while Pneumatic compression (23.4%) was the least used. There was a significant relationship between risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis practice(P<0.05). The barriers to practice were the cost of medication (52.2%), drug availability (33.0%), and fear of complications (31.3%).
Conclusion: The poor practice of thromboprophylaxis despite good knowledge of venous thromboembolism requires urgent intervention via continuous medical education while government intervention through health insurance can reduce the cost of relevant drugs.