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| Intermittent Sequential Pneumatic Compression of the Legs in the Prevention of Venous Stasis and Postoperative Deep Venous Thrombosis |
| Source: Nicolaides AN, Fernanades e Fernandes J, Pollock AV. Surgery 87(1): 69-76, 1980 |
| Summary: This early study of graduated sequential compression devices determined that "peak and mean velocities in the femoral vein during compression with the sequential device were higher than when a single chamber of equal length was used." In addition to superior velocities, sequential compression devices appear to provide better emptying of the veins since "[T]he high flow in the femoral vein at the beginning of the non-compression period using the single-chamber legging suggests that a considerable amount of blood was trapped in the veins distally." A clinical trial that followed demonstrated that "the sequential compression device was as effective as small-dose subcutaneous heparin during the period it was used. The sequential compression device may become the method of choice… in order to avoid the risk of hemorrhage and wound haematoma associated with small-dose subcutaneous heparin." |