Article: Meta-analysis of duration of venous thromboembolism risk following hospitalization in surgical and medical patients
In this meta-analysis, 57 studies including 9,152,616 patients were pooled together to assess the duration during which venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk remains elevated after hospitalization, a question directly affecting post-discharge thromboprophylaxis worldwide. Post-hospitalization VTE incidence was consistently higher in medical than surgical cohorts, most notably within 45 days (0.3% surgical vs. 4.6% medical), and persisting at 90 days (1.3% vs. 2.9%) and beyond 90 days (1.0% vs. 2.3% in the 180 to 1020 day window). This suggests surgical VTE risk is concentrated early during recovery whereas medical VTE risk is prolonged and delayed, likely correlated to persistent clinical risk factors. This supports a risk-stratified approach to post-discharge prevention rather than a single standardized duration for all patients.
Article Link: https://www.jvsvenous.org/article/S2213-333X(25)00178-7/fulltext