Grant: Project Grant

Traumatic brain injury is a major patient care and health system problem often resulting in long hospital stays. Patients with severe brain injury are at risk for developing blood clots in their legs, which can travel to the lungs. This potentially serious complication is known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Anticoagulants (sometimes called "blood thinners") are commonly used to prevent VTE in hospital patients. However, in patients with major head injury, anticoagulant prevention must be delayed as it can lead to further bleeding in the brain. Another method that aims to prevent blood clots involves the use of mechanical stocking-pumps that compress the legs and increase the flow of blood in the leg veins. This study will enrol patients from large trauma hospitals and will compare results from patients who receive the stocking-pumps only to those who receive both pumps and blood thinners. The outcome of this study will provide important new information about how best to prevent blood clots and further brain bleeding after head injury, while minimizing health care costs.