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Clinical Services Journal article – Changing clinical practice in VTE prevention

12/08/2020

August 2020

Dr. Indira Natarajan, a consultant stroke physician for the Royal Stoke University Hospital’s acute stroke team, highlights the burden of VTE on stroke aftercare and offers an insight into a pilot study evaluating the use of neuromuscular electrostimulation on the hospital’s stroke unit. In this article he shares his experience of taking forward change to clinical practice.

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A number of immobile patients who suffer ischaemic or haemorrhagic strokes are unable to tolerate intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE). Recognising this issue, the stroke unit at Royal Stoke initiated an observational pilot study to assess a new neuromuscular electrostimulation technology to address this unmet need.

Through close collaboration with the developer of the device, Sky Medical Technology, a change to clinical practice has been pioneered to the benefits of patients and the stroke team. This work is now driving adoption of the device and change to clinical practice in other stroke centres across the UK and overseas.

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