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Prophylactic heparin

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Prophylaxis before surgery is as follows:

  • low risk - use thromboembolism (TED) stockings etc.

  • moderate risk eg. major surgery, lower limb surgery, a patient on the oral contraceptive pill - use low dose heparin, with no need for APTT estimations

  • high risk:
    • e.g. orthopaedic surgery, gynaecological surgery
    • consider the use of higher doses of heparin with APTT measurement
    • subcutaneous, low molecular weight heparin appears to have advantages over standard heparin in the prevention of thrombosis after orthopaedic surgery

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