Venous thromboembolism (VTE) comprises both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT occurs when a blood clot forms inside a vein deep in the leg, causing leg pain and swelling. A blood clot in a leg vein can grow, break off, and travel to the lungs. This may result in shortness of breath or chest pain, and in some cases, can cause a patient’s death. Clots that travel to the lungs are called pulmonary emboli.

VTE is one of the most common and preventable complications of hospitalization. The rate of hospital-acquired VTE, if a thromboprophylaxis is not used, is 10 to 40 per cent after general surgery and 40 to 60 per cent after hip surgery.

Through this intervention, quality improvement initiatives will be developed and implemented to increase the use of thromboprophylaxis for adult patients (18+) undergoing major general surgery (open abdominal), or hip fracture surgery and adherence to evidence-based thromboprophylaxis will be measured over time. Participating teams will identify consecutive eligible major general surgical and/or hip fracture patients and will start appropriate thromboprophylaxis 24 hours after surgery-end-time and continue it until discharge, or at least 10 days after surgery for hip-fracture patients. These steps can help to eliminate longer hospital stays and reduce healthcare costs.