Genesis of medical thromboprophylaxis guidelines in Australia: a need for transparency and standardisation in guideline development

Comment on Millar: The application of appropriate prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is recognised as an important patient safety measure. In a systematic review ranking 79 safety interventions, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States found that, based on the strength of overwhelming evidence that thromboprophylaxis reduces adverse patient outcomes and decreases overall costs, the highest-ranked safety practice was the appropriate use of prophylaxis to prevent VTE.1 However, it has been shown that, worldwide, the application of appropriate VTE prophylaxis is underutilised.2