Peripartum thromboprophylaxis before and after implementation of a uniform heparin protocol.

AIM: The objective of this study was to assess the utilization of postpartum thromboprophylaxis with heparin in patients according to the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Green-Top guidelines after change from an opt-in to an opt-out policy for health care providers ordering heparin thromboprophylaxis after cesarean delivery.

STUDY DESIGN: The present study is a retrospective review of 500 consecutive births at one academic institution before and after implementation of a uniform thromboprophylaxis policy with heparin for all cesarean deliveries. An "opt-out" policy for ordering physicians was implemented by automatically defaulting to order heparin in the electronic order set used after cesarean delivery.

RESULTS: Cesarean delivery rates were similar during both time periods. Heparin thromboprophylaxis was indicated in 99.6% of the cesarean delivery population before implementation and 94.5% after implementation. Prior to implementation only 5.7% received thromboprophylaxis compared to 96.1% after implementation, P<0.0001.

CONCLUSION: An opt-out heparin thromboprophylaxis policy improves compliance with thromboprophylaxis guidelines compared to an opt-in policy. Institutions should consider opt-out heparin thromboprophylaxis policies after cesarean deliveries to improve compliance with recommendations.