Background: Some studies have reported an increased incidence of thromboembolic complications following trauma.
Study design and methods: We performed a literature review and queried the National Trauma Data Bank to more closely examine the incidence of a variety of thromboembolic complications following injury.
Results: Thromboembolic events are rare, but occur at a greater rate in more severely injured patients. It is unclear, however, whether the incidence of thromboembolic complications in trauma patients is on the rise overall. Differences in study populations, particularly injury severity scores, as well as different methods of screening, diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment have led to extreme differences in reported rates.
Conclusion: While recent research has added to the body of knowledge, continued efforts focusing on risk stratification, diagnosis, screening, prophylaxis, and treatment are necessary to rationally understand the spectrum of thrombotic complications.