Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with follow-up for at least the duration of hospital stay were eligible for inclusion. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 14 days post-operatively, or until patients were fully ambulatory.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies of IPC devices compared to no prophylaxis were eligible for inclusion. Initiation of IPC was defined as pre-operative, peri-operative or post-operative. Fifty per cent of the included studies initiated IPC peri-operatively, 25% pre-operatively and 25% post-operatively.
Participants included in the review
Studies of at least 20 post-operative patients were eligible for inclusion. The studies included patients from general, gynaecological, oncologic, neurosurgery, or orthopaedic surgery populations. Where reported, the mean age ranged from 51 to 70 years in the treatment group and from 48 to 69 years in the control group; the proportion of females ranged from 28 to 100%.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies using at least one diagnostic imaging test for DVT in all patients were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was the development of DVT during the surveillance period pre-defined in each study (discharge or ambulation). The included studies used either the fibrogen uptake test (FUT) or a combination of FUT with venography, plethysmography and/or ultrasonography to diagnose DVT. Where provided (all but one study), the authors preferentially used results from the FUT.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how studies were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the study selection.