Guidance
Update information
August 2019: Recommendation 1.12.11 was amended to clarify when anti-embolism stockings can be used for VTE prophylaxis for people with spinal injury.
March 2018: New recommendations were added on risk assessment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and reducing the risk of VTE. These recommendations are marked as [2018].
Some changes were made to recommendation wording without an evidence review. These recommendations are marked as [2010, amended 2018]. The changes are:
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Minor edits to recommendation 1.3.1 to clarify meaning.
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In recommendation 1.3.9 'discontinue' was changed to 'stop' for plain English purposes, and 'patient' changed to 'person'.
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In recommendations 1.3.9 and 1.3.10 the words 'foot impulse' and 'devices' were deleted from recommendations because the guideline committee noted that the term 'intermittent pneumatic compression' covers both sleeves applied to the legs and garments wrapped around the foot. The options are considered equal in the recommendations. The guideline committee left it to clinicians to decide which were the most suitable.
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Recommendation 1.3.11 was edited to simplify wording.
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In recommendation 1.4.2, 'stroke' was changed to 'acute stroke' to make it clear the recommendation is about someone currently experiencing a stroke or having treatment for stroke, not people receiving rehabilitation treatments for stroke. 'Patients' was changed to 'people'.
Recommendations are marked as [2010] when the evidence was last reviewed in 2010.
Minor changes since publication
May 2021: Recommendation 1.9.1 was amended to clarify that the Department of Health tool is commonly used to develop a treatment plan.
January 2021: Recommendations 1.1.2 and 1.1 5 were amended to clarify that the Department of Health tool is commonly used to develop a treatment plan.
November 2020: We added links in the sections on acutely ill medical patients and interventions for critical care to the NICE COVID-19 rapid guideline on reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism in over 16s.
December 2019: In recommendation 1.3.5 the British Standards for anti-embolism hosiery were updated because BS 6612 and BS 7672 have been withdrawn.
April 2018: Cross-references to recommendations were corrected.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-2871-2