Preventing Venous Thromboembolism in Critically Ill Patients

Critically ill patients in the medical-surgical intensive care unit are at high risk of both venous thromboembolism (VTE) and bleeding. Although thromboprophylaxis is of proven effectiveness in other settings, relatively little data exist to inform "best practice" for the prevention of VTE for these patients. This narrative review article presents the rate, clinical consequences, and optimal strategies to prevent VTE in critically ill patients, …