Highlights
Task:
Smith, Z., & Hawthorn. (2018). Below knee TED stockings compared to thigh high stocking in preventing DVT. Hospital, 6(32), 99-34. Doi: 1564ert9g34u59g3
Smith and Hawthorn used a quantitative study design to compare the effectiveness of below- knee ted stockings to thigh high stocking in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in hospitalised patients. The authors argued that there was very little evidence supporting the use of thigh high stockings and that their use was associated with more complications such as pressure injuries. In this study, the authors used a randomised controlled trial design and patients were randomly allocated to receive either the below-knee or thigh-high TED stockings. All patients admitted to a surgical ward were approached to participate in the study. A total of 2034 patients were recruited into this study out of 3000 patients approached to participate.
The study protocol involved patients wearing the stockings during the day and night and were only to be removed during showering. Patients were monitored for DVTs during their hospitalisation, and the frequency of DVTs was compared between the two groups. The results from this study showed no significant difference between rates of DVT in patients who were allocated below-knee stocking and thigh high stockings. Smith and Hawthorn also report that 48 patients who were allocated thigh high stockings developed complications, ranging from mild irritation to more serious pressure injuries. No such complications were reported in the below- knee stocking group.
The study by Smith and Hawthorn has several strengths. Firstly, it’s one of the few studies to compare below-knee stockings to thigh high stockings, which helps to add to the evidence base supporting their use. Secondly, this study used a large study population which helps to build confidence in the study outcomes. Unfortunately, there are several limitations to this study that need to be acknowledged. Firstly, it is unclear whether true randomisation of study participants occurred as this is not described in the research article. When randomisation does not occur, this can introduce bias into the results. Secondly, only surgical patients were used in this study, which means the results could not be easily generalised to other populations such as medical or paediatric patients. Lastly, there is no description of how the researchers ensured patients adhered to the study protocol, which means it is possible some patients did not wear their stockings all the time. Overall this article adds to the growing body of research supporting the use of below-knee TED stockings, but due to the limitations mentioned, stronger evidence is needed to support a practice change.
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