Thromboembolism after hip surgery

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Patients who have had hip joint replacement or fracture repair are at serious risk of experiencing postoperative venous thromboembolism. This complication is often asymptomatic, and tests to establish early diagnosis have varying levels of reliability. The authors report on a study they conducted to compare noninvasive diagnostic tests—Doppler ultrasound, phlebor-rheography, and fibrinogen iodine 125 uptake testing—with venography and ventilation/perfusion lung scanning. Results showed the lung scanning to be the most cost-effective and reliable screening method for hip surgery patients.