07.05.14
Hospitals aim to reduce DVT in stroke patients
Hospitals across England are preparing to receive potentially lifesaving equipment to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in stroke patients, as part of the national Living Longer Lives programme.
Spearheaded by NHS Improving Quality, the campaign will see stroke units across the country take delivery of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices which include an air pump and inflatable ‘sleeves’.
The sleeves, which are wrapped around the legs of people who are unable to walk following a stroke, work by inflating and alternately compressing each leg to keep the blood flow moving, preventing potentially life threatening clots from forming that can travel to the lungs or brain.
The aim of the initiative, which has received £1m funding to stimulate the use of IPCs, is to embed the use of IPC into the care pathway for immobile stroke patients in the long term. It is hoped that this major national initiative will improve patient outcomes and reduce death from DVT in stroke patients.
The decision to fund the devices came after the publication of the CLOTS 3 trial results, which showed the use of IPC sleeves led to around a 30% reduction in DVTs and fewer deaths in the six months following a stroke.
NHS Improving Quality has worked with NHS Supply Chain to agree a competitive price with the supplier Covidien. And, as of April 2014, the practical implementation of the IPC sleeves programme at a local level is being supported by 11 out of 12 Strategic Clinical Networks. Over 60 stroke units are gearing up to receive the first of three deliveries of sleeves free of charge and many more are expected to join in time for the second and final consignments over the summer.
Hilary Walker, head of the Living Longer Lives programme at NHS Improving Quality, said: “This initiative is a prime example of how NHS Improving Quality is working alongside key partners to rapidly translate the findings of research into routine clinical practice and drive the roll out of evidence-based, innovative treatments and technologies in the NHS in England at scale and pace.
“IPC sleeves have been used for several years in surgical patients, but this will be the first major use in medical patients. It is hoped that the initiative will support the rapid implementation of IPC sleeves in stroke units and improve outcomes for stroke patients.”
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