Acute and chronic anticoagulation therapy in relation to joint replacements

Thromboembolic disease (TED) is a considerable social and health problem. The solution evidently consists in the prevention of TED in clinical fields, not in the treatment itself. We can assume that effective prevention consequently reduces the cost of the following treatment. A lethal pulmonary embolism (PE) can be the first and the final clinical manifestation in patients with an asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis. This makes the systematic prevention of venous thromboembolism in higher risk patients necessary. Unfortunately, pharmacological prevention has been used less than would be needed. Inseparable from the TED prevention are physical methods. Pharmacological possibilities of the thromboembolic disease prevention were significantly extended within the past decade. To ensure the TED prevention after the total replacement (TEP) of hip and knee joints the following rules need to be observed: the TED prevention should be effected with LMWH, fondaparinux, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban for a period of 28-35 days after the hip joint replacement surgery and for 14 days after the knee joint replacement. The use of ASA, dextran and UFH as a thromboprophylaxis after the hip and knee joint TEP is not justified within the Czech Republic. Physical means (graduated compression stockings or IPC) can be used to support the recommended pharmacological treatment, they should not be used individually except in cases where pharmacological thromboprophylaxis is contraindicated.Key words: apixaban - dabigatran - LMWH - rivaroxaban - total hip and knee joint replacement - thromboembolic disease.