A 10-year review of venous thrombo-embolism in surgical patients seen in Jos, Nigeria.

A retrospective study was carried out on 42 clinically diagnosed cases of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) seen over a 10 year period. The mean age at presentation was 41 years with a sex ratio M:F of 2.5:1. The three commonest primary surgical conditions in patients with VTE were spinal trauma (16 percent), benign prostatic hypertrophy (12 percent) and head injury (10 percent). Prostatectomy was performed in 18 percent, ventral hernia repair in 12 percent and splenectomy in 9 percent. Sudden severe dyspnoea was the clinical presentation in 60 percent of patients. Central chest pain occurred in 43 percent, loss of consciousness (38 percent), haemoptysis (7 percent), mental confusion (19 percent) and lower limb swelling (14 percent). Fifty-two percent of patients presented within 10-15 days. Oral warfarin and intravenous heparin were employed in management in 45 percent. Hospital mortality from massive pulmonary embolism was 64 percent while post thrombotic syndrome occurred in 5 percent of patients.