Prospective validation of a unique pretest probability score for preoperative deep vein thrombosis

Abstract

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism is a crucial perioperative complication. We developed a pretest probability score (KAGOSHIMA DVT score) for predicting deep vein thrombosis (DVT) before surgery. The purpose of our study was to validate KAGOSHIMA DVT score prospectively. Methods KAGOSHIMA DVT score was assigned 2 points to D-dimer ≥ 1.5 μg/mL and 1 point each to age ≥ 60 years, female, ongoing glucocorticoid therapy, cancer with high risk of DVT and prolonged immobility. KAGOSHIMA DVT score of 3 points or higher was defined as intermediate group, 5 or higher as high group. We included a total of 4051 patients planned surgery under general anesthesia between May 2022 and February 2023. 452 patients were performed whole leg ultrasonography suspected DVT using a cutoff point of D-dimer ≥ 1μg/ml, KAGOSHIMA DVT score of 3 points or higher. We excluded aneurysm, pregnancy, ongoing anticoagulant therapy, and other thrombosis. We validated 253 patients of the presence of DVT. Results DVT was detected in 93/253 (36.8%) patients, 64/200 (32%) in the intermediate probability group, and 29/53 (54.7%) in the high group, respectively. The prevalence of DVT increased with each increase in KAGOSHIMA DVT score. D-dimer ≥ 1.5 μg/mL (92% vs 100%, p=0.033), age ≥ 60 years (86.5% vs 96.2%, p=0.048), female (53% vs 96.2%, p<0.001), glucocorticoids (6.5% vs 22.6%, p=0.001), active cancer with high risk of DVT (23% vs 64.2%, p<0.001), and prolonged immobility (4.5% vs 22.6%, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the high probability group than the intermediate group. The number of whole-leg ultrasonography decreased from 461 to 253(54.7%) during the same period. In the intermediate group, the detection rate of DVT was a significantly higher in the prospective study than in the retrospective study (21.4% vs 32%, p=0.012). In the high probability group, there was no significant difference (48.2% vs 54.7%, p=0.49). Conclusion KAGOSHIMA DVT score stratified perioperative DVT probability and was useful to detect DVT prospectively.rate of DVT