The Johns Hopkins Hospital is taking a closer look at how to prevent deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially fatal but highly preventable medical condition it sees as a top patient safety issue. Sharing the latest research and information on DVT, colleagues, patients and their family members, and the public joined together in March for the first annual DVT Symposium.

Keynote speaker Rear Admiral Steven Galson, acting U.S. Surgeon General, issued a call to action to prevent DVT, a common cause of preventable hospital death which occurs when blood clots form in the large veins, usually in the legs or pelvis, and often following inactivity due to surgery, stroke or a major accident or medical illness. Other featured speakers included John Heit and Susan Kahn, internationally recognized investigators in the epidemiology and management of DVT, as well as Dean Edward Miller, vice president for medical affairs Beryl Rosenstein, and Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine’s own patient safety expert Peter Pronovost. Dr. Pronovost’s talk focused on “DVT in a National Patient Safety Framework”.

A panel discussion featuring Elliott Haut, Michael Streiff, Deborah Hobson and Peggy Kraus of the Johns Hopkins DVT collaborative group concluded the symposium with a presentation of preliminary data from a study examining compliance with evidence-based DVT prevention strategies at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The panel also discussed prevention innovation, risk stratification and care management methods for all hospitalized patients.

Related Links

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Webcast
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Symposium Agenda
• Johns Hopkins Quality and Safety Research Group Website
• Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Director: Bio
• Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Director: Curriculum Vitae