Study determined the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) detected through routine duplex screening and factors associated with DVT in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) on admission to rehabilitation. A retrospective review was conducted of medical records for 189 individuals admitted to rehabilitation within 2 weeks of initial traumatic SCI who underwent routine surveillance with duplex scan for lower-extremity DVT. The dependent variable was positive duplex screening for either any DVT (distal and/or proximal) or proximal DVT. Of the 189 patients, 31 patients (16.4 percent) had a positive scan for any (proximal and/or distal) DVT, with 9 (4.8 percent) positive for a proximal DVT and 22 (11.6 percent) positive for isolated distal DVT. Of those with isolated distal DVT, 31.8 percent later developed propagation with either proximal DVTs or pulmonary embolism (mean = 22 days). Factors significantly associated with positive duplex scans for any (proximal and/or distal) DVT include more severe neurological injury and older age (≥50 years old). The results indicate that in acute traumatic SCI, older age and more severe neurological impairment are independent risk factors for positive duplex screening for any (proximal and/or distal) DVT detected on rehabilitation admission. Individuals with an acute distal DVT have a high likelihood for future thrombus progression. Routine surveillance for these patients may be warranted.
