Preventing Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis After Hip Fracture Surgery in Elderly Patients by Acupoint Application Combined with Pneumatic Compression Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To investigate and analyze the long-term clinical effects of acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy in the prevention of deep venous thrombosis after hip fracture surgery among the elderly. Methods: Sixty elderly patients who had undergone hip fracture surgery from February 2021 to February 2022 were selected as the research subjects. The patients were divided into two groups via drawing lots. Both the groups received nursing care, but the patients in the observation group were treated with TCM acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy, whereas the control group received pneumatic compression therapy. The evaluation indicators included the patients’ quality of life and complications. Results: The incidence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in the observation group was more than twice (0.3%), whereas the incidence of lower extremity complications in the control group was more than 6 times (20%). There was a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application combined with pneumatic compression therapy is beneficial for the prevention of postoperative lower extremity deep vein thrombosis among elderly patients. In addition, the patients’ overall quality-of-life scores in both physiological and psychological aspects improved significantly, which carries significant clinical reference value.