The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued general guidelines describing the interventions that can be taken to reduce the risk of the formation of blood clots: {{Quote box|width=75em|align=center|quote=The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following: • Move around as soon as possible after being confined to bed, such as after surgery, illness, or injury. • If you're at risk for DVT, talk to your doctor about: • Graduated compression stockings (sometimes called "medical compression stockings") • Medication (anticoagulants) to prevent DVT. • When sitting for long periods, such as when traveling for more than four hours: • Get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours. • Exercise your legs while you're sitting by: • Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor • Raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor • Tightening and releasing your leg muscles • Wear loose-fitting clothes. • You can reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, and following your doctor's recommendations based on your individual risk factors.
Interventions for those hospitalized Compression devices Mechanical compression devices are used to prevent thrombosis and are beneficial enough to be used by patients at low to moderate risk. The use of intermittent pneumatic compression is common. Differences between the use of thigh-high compression stockings and shorter types to prevent blood clots exist, but remain inconsistent. Immediate post-surgical interventions, such as out of bed orders (OOB), are typically ordered by the physician to prevent thrombosis. These orders, typically delegated to a nurse, but may include the participation of a physical therapist and others trained to perform the intervention, are to perform range of motion (ROM) activities that include: muscle contractions of the lower legs for those who are very weak, moving the feet, wiggling the toes, bending the knees, raise and lower the legs. In addition, changes in positioning prevent immobility and shift areas of venous stasis. If the person is too weak to perform these preventative activities, hospital personnel will perform these movements independently. Exercise of the lower extremities is a post-operative method of prophylaxis. Nursing personnel will often perform a range of motion exercises and encourage frequent moving of the legs, feet, and ankles. Frequent positioning changes and adequate fluid intake. After a surgical procedure, ambulation as soon as possible is prophylactic in preventing the formation of blood clots. Early ambulation also prevents venous stasis and physicians order OOB activities on the same day of surgery. This is accomplished in increments. The progression of increasing mobility proceeds by: raising the head of the bed, sitting up in bed, moving to the edge of the bed, dangling the legs off the bed, and then ambulating to a closed chair. Patient education and compliance reduce the risk of developing blood clots. These exercises and the use of equipment and follow-up by clinicians reduce the risk of developing blood clots. If a blood clot has already formed in the deep veins of the leg, early movement out of bed is usually prescribed, except in some severe cases of deep vein thrombosis or in people who have
phlegmasia cerulea dolens. The treatment to prevent blood with physical intervention (e.g., sequential compression device) is
contraindicated. ==Medication==