Grant: Project Grant

Patients who suffer a major broken bone, such as a broken femur (or thigh bone), have an increased risk for developing blood clots in their legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and life-threatening blood clots in their lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE). After a broken femur, patients experience inflammation, which can be made worse by the surgery that they require. This further increases their risk for blood clots. PE is a common cause of preventable death in patients with broken bones that require surgery. Patients with broken femurs receive medication to help prevent blood clots. However, these medications can increase bleeding and are expensive. It is unknown how long this medication should be continued and whether patients who are more prone to forming clots should receive longer treatment. In order to help prevent blood clots associated with broken femurs, doctors need to be able to identify which patients are at increased risk for clotting. Thrombelastography (TEG) technology uses a small sample of blood to evaluate a person's risk for blood clots. Our study will test if TEG can also determine how long each patient should receive medication to minimize their clot risk, based on their individual risk. TEG technology is readily available, cost-effective, and provides valuable information to help doctors treat patients with abnormal blood clotting. Our multi-disciplinary research team includes doctors and surgeons with TEG experience. This study will use blood tests and imaging studies to look for blood clots and abnormal inflammation in patients with broken femurs, both before and after surgery. We will determine the length of time that patients are in danger of developing life-threatening blood clots after their injury. Our results will also help identify factors that increase clotting risk and will help develop protocols to minimize this risk. If our TEG study results help prevent blood clots, we will save the lives of trauma patients across Canada.