Which kind of anti-embolism stockings – up to knee or up to thigh – are more effective?

Summary

Aim

To evaluate the preventative effect of knee-length and thigh-length anti-embolism stockings (AES).

Methodology

The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) reports were searched for systematic reviews, meta-analyses and guidelines using the search terms “thrombosis prevention” and “anti-embolism stockings”.

Results

Two productive guidelines and two very extensive systematic reviews were found, all published between 2010 and 2015. Both the NICE and SIGN guidelines recommend knee-length or thigh-length anti-embolism stockings (AES), whereas four reviews found no consistent results in the prevention of thrombosis. There is no clear difference in the preventative effects of the two types of AES: - It is not possible to calculate the preventative effect of the two types of AES, because the various studies are significantly heterogeneous. - The preventative effect of the thigh-length AES combined with pharmacotherapy shows a non-significant positive trend. - The preventative effect of a thigh-length AES plus pharmacotherapy is more effective than that of a knee-length AES plus pharmacotherapy.

Keywords

Anti-embolism stocking - thromboprophylaxis

• References

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