Background: We evaluated the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and the characteristics of patients with acute ICH who developed DVT.
Methods: We enrolled 52 patients with acute ICH between June 2005 and September 2006. We recorded their stroke risk factors, neurological deficit, hemorrhage size and laboratory data, and performed ultrasonography to detect DVT within 72 h of onset of ICH and after two weeks.
Results: DVT was detected a total of 21 patients (40.4%) after two weeks. Patients with DVT tended to be older, and had significantly more severe disturbance of consciousness (p=0.020) and paralysis (p=0.035) on admission than those without DVT. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was significantly higher in patients with DVT than those without (p=0.002). Patients with a larger diameter of ICH were more likely to develop DVT (p=0.021). D-dimer value on admission was significantly higher in patients with DVT than those without (p=0.002). Logistic regression analysis indicated that both NIHSS score and D-dimer value were independent risk factors for the occurrence of DVT.
Conclusions: We need be aware that acute ICH patients with severe neurological deficit and high D-dimer value are at increased risk of developing DVT.