Quiz answers and references

Below you can find the correct answers and references to the quiz questions.

Question 1: VTE is the most common cause of preventable death in hospitalised patients¹

Correct answer: TRUE

There are a number of factors that place patients at risk of VTE, of which hospitalisation is perhaps most recognised. US data states that up to 60% of VTE cases occur during or shortly after hospitalisation, making it the leading preventable cause of hospital death.^1-2

One of the most significant risk groups for developing VTE is patients undergoing surgical procedures, which relates to;

• Immobility and use of muscle relaxants that may impact venous stasis.
• Surgical interventions may cause vessel damage/injury.
• Use of anaesthetics may increase hypercoagulability.

At the same time, awareness of other high-risk hospitalised patient groups, such as critical care, cancer, obstetric, bariatric and stroke patients, have steadily been increasing over recent years with emphasised importance of prophylaxis.^3-5

Question 2:   As many as 70% of healthcare-associated VTE cases are preventable⁶

Correct answer: TRUE

Most healthcare‑associated VTE events are preventable because key risk factors such as, hospitalisation, surgery, reduced mobility, and acute illness, are predictable and commonly encountered during inpatient care. This highlights the critical importance of systematic risk assessment and proactive VTE prevention as integral parts of patient safety and quality of care.

Question 3: Globally, around 5 million VTE cases occur each year, making it a major cause of death and disability.

Correct answer: FALSE

The actual figure is closer to 10 million cases each year, causing death and disability worldwide.⁷

Globally, a large proportion of hospitalised patients are at risk of VTE; almost all inpatients have at least one risk factor for VTE, and it has been cited that around 40% have three or more risk factors.⁸