Estimated Prevalence of Venous Thromboembolism in Iran: Prophylaxis Still an Unmet Challenge

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate thromboprophylaxis is a serious problem in Iran. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most important causes of morbidity in patients in surgical and obstetrics departments and intensive care units (ICUs). It is a leading preventable cause of mortality among in-patients. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of VTE and its epidemiology in an Iranian population for the first time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There is no national registry system for keeping VTE records in Iran. To statistically calculate the annual prevalence of VTE, we used the prevalence of VTE in presence of each VTE predisposing condition and the annual prevalence of each VTE predisposing condition in Iran. RESULTS: The average annual number of total adult patients with predisposing conditions of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in Iran was 5,288,272 people. The mean annual prevalence of DVT in Iran was between 686,928 and 2,089,738 cases. The mean annual prevalence rate of DVT among the hospitalized Iranian adult patients with the risk of DVT was approximately between 129.90 and 395.16 cases per 1000 patients. CONCLUSION: The mean annual prevalence of DVT among the hospitalized Iranian adult patients not receiving prophylaxis is high. We also found that appropriate prophylaxis was provided for less than half the patients in need.