Summary
Clinical and laboratory variables were measured on the day before operation in 111
patients who underwent total hip replacement prophylactically treated with acetylsalicilic
acid or heparin-dihydroergotamine. Postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was deteced
in 16 patients by ascending venography. Stepwise logistic discriminant analysis was
used to identify DVT predicting factors. Three such factors, fibrinogen degradation
products (FDP), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA-inhibitor) and tissue type plasminogen
activator (t-PA), were found to be significantly associated with DVT and were used
to construct a predictive index. The predictive index, I = —2.09 + 0.46 (FDP) +1.39
(PA-inhibitor)-0.24 (t-PA), was 100% sensitive and 95% specific in the prediction
of DVT. This index would allow for identification of those patients in whom routine
prophylaxis would be sufficient and for selecting those in whom more effective prophylactic
regimens would be necessary.
Key words
Predictive index - Deep vein thrombosis - Total hip replacement - Surgery