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Articles
Low-dose heparin preparations for prophylactic use
Abstract
Administration of low doses of heparin before and after surgery can reduce the incidence of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism during, and after, major operations.1 2 It is acceptably safe, except in patients with bleeding disorders. Traditional multi-dose ampoules of heparin are both inconvenient for this purpose and wasteful, and this may have hindered the widespread adoption of low-dose heparin prophylaxis. Other prophylactic measures include infusion of dextran-70,3 and rhythmical4 or graded static5 compression of the calves.