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Purpose: The use of intermittent pneumatic compression, in addition to elastic bandages or stockings, accelerates the healing of leg ulcers in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). There is recent evidence that impulse compression of the plantar venous plexus reduces post-traumatic ankle swelling and prevents postoperative venous thromboembolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and hemodynamic responses after home use of impulse foot compression for 3 months in patients already using therapeutic compression stockings for the management of CVI., Methods: Twelve extremities from 9 patients with documented CVI, class 4 to 5 according to the Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, Pathophysiology classification system, were included in this prospective cohort study. All patients were instructed to use a foot pump device at home for 2 hours a day for 3 months in addition to therapeutic compression stockings (30-40 mm Hg) worn during the day. The device was set to three cycles (3 seconds) of compression (120 mm Hg) per minute. A clinical scoring system was completed before foot compression and 1, 2, and 3 months thereafter. In addition, all patients underwent air plethysmography studies at the same time intervals, including venous volume, venous filling index, ejection fraction, and residual volume fraction., Results: Patients reported significant improvement in their scores for swelling (P <.05) and pain (P <.04). Air plethysmography showed a reduction in venous volume and venous filling index, although these differences were not significant. Ejection fraction remained unchanged and residual volume fraction was significantly reduced (P <.05) compared with baseline. The foot compression devices were well tolerated by all the patients in the study., Conclusions: The use of home foot impulse compression plus elastic stockings significantly reduced the residual volume fraction as measured by air-plethysmography in a group of patients with severe CVI. This favorable hemodynamic response could, in part, explain the clinical improvement achieved by this combined treatment. However, this represents a preliminary pilot study that needs to be confirmed in future randomized controlled studies with more patients included.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a function of oral anticoagulation therapy after total hip replacement surgery., Methods: A total of 125 patients completed the study. All the patients received sequential gradient pneumatic compression over elastic stockings until hospital discharge. In addition, all the patients underwent postoperative heparin therapy followed by oral warfarin therapy, adjusted in dose to maintain a goal international normalized ratio (INR) level of 2.0 to 3.0. Warfarin therapy and compression stockings were continued for 1 month after surgery. Bilateral duplex scanning was performed 1 and 4 weeks after surgery to assess the rate of DVT., Results: Nineteen of the 125 patients had DVT develop (15.2%). Of those thromboses, six (31.6%) and 13 (68%) were detected 1 week and 1 month after surgery, respectively. The rate of proximal DVT was 2.4% (3 of 125) 1 week after surgery and rose to 8.2% (10 of 122) 1 month after surgery. Most DVT cases (64%; 12 of 19) were asymptomatic. The patients in whom DVT developed had significantly lower INR values during the second to fourth postoperative weeks than did those patients without thrombosis, and no differences in INR values were found during the first postoperative week., Conclusion: The risk of the development of DVT extends beyond hospital discharge in patients who undergo total hip replacement, despite a regimen of prolonged oral anticoagulation therapy. This is particularly true in patients whose INR values did not reach therapeutic range during the first postoperative month. Therefore, thrombosis prophylaxis regimens on the basis of the administration of warfarin should try to maintain INR values within therapeutic range during the entire first postoperative month to minimize the incidence of DVT.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) resolution and DVT outcomes as functions of the level of oral anticoagulation therapy achieved with warfarin., Methods: In 33 consecutive patients, a series of 35 limbs with acute symptomatic DVT was followed throughout 1 year of anticoagulation therapy. All the patients underwent 5 days of intravenous unfractionated sodium heparin therapy that was adjusted in dose to prolong the activated thromboplastin time to 2.0 to 2.5 times the control. In addition, warfarin was administered for a period of 6 months, with a target international normalized ratio (INR) between 2.0 and 3.0. All the patients underwent venous duplex scanning and physical examination at the time of diagnosis and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year., Results: At the end of the 1-year study period, the rate of complete DVT resolution was 68%. The median INR values in patients with complete DVT resolution were significantly higher than those of patients with incomplete DVT resolution after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment with warfarin. In addition, the proportion of patients with INR values below therapeutic range was significantly higher in patients with incomplete DVT resolution than in patients with complete DVT resolution after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment with warfarin. The presence of occlusive thrombi was associated with incomplete DVT resolution. Of the patients with occlusive thrombi, 62% had chronic venous insufficiency symptoms develop, whereas only 11% of the patients with nonocclusive thrombi (P =.003) had these symptoms develop., Conclusion: Despite 6 months of oral anticoagulant therapy, almost one third of thrombi did not resolve completely. The INR values were significantly higher in those patients with complete DVT resolution. These results suggest that the maintenance of an INR level between 2.0 and 3.0 throughout oral anticoagulation therapy will minimize the rate of incomplete DVT resolution.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate of resolution of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the leg, by means of duplex imaging, in patients with symptoms during a 6-month period after initial diagnosis., Methods: Seventy-three limbs in 69 patients with acute DVT diagnosed by duplex imaging received conventional heparin and warfarin treatment and underwent subsequent duplex studies 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the initial diagnosis. The objectives of the study were to document (1) the rate or complete resolution of DVT, (2) the proportion of unstable, floating thrombi, and (3) the development of chronic damage as a result of vessel wall scarring., Results: The rate of normalization of DVT 6 months after diagnosis was 78% in the common femoral vein, 70% in the superficial femoral vein, 75% in the popliteal vein, and 70% in the calf veins examined at the scheduled intervals. Twenty-six percent of thrombi were considered unstable on the baseline examination. The average number of days necessary for these thrombi to become stable was 10.7 days. Damage to the vessel wall or valves was documented in 44% of the patients., Conclusions: Rates of resolution of DVT were similar for the different veins of the leg studied. There was a high proportion of unstable thrombi, which present a high potential risk of embolization. Serial duplex scanning after DVT renders important information with regard to thrombus resolution, propagation, and attachment to the vein wall.