Four-extremity venous duplex ultrasound for suspected deep venous thrombosis is an anachronism

ConclusionsFED for FUO is inefficient, given that DVT was rarely the proximate cause of fever. Acute upper extremity DVT was found only in patients with an upper extremity CVC, demonstrating that patients without upper extremity CVC do not benefit from upper extremity duplex ultrasound examination. Upper extremity DVT is usually line associated and dependent on the number of cumulative risk factors present, suggesting that only the extremity associated with the CVC in the right clinical context should be imaged. Lower extremity DVT is also dependent on the number of cumulative risk factors present, and testing should be reserved for patients according to the clinical context. Our results indicate that a restrictive strategy can reduce testing inefficiency and health care cost without compromising patients' safety.
Source: Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders - Category: Surgery Source Type: research