Venous Thromboembolism: Venography in the Diagnosis of DVT

Published 2002

Level 1

A Level I recommendation on this topic cannot be supported because of insufficient data.

Level 2

  1. Ascending venography should be used as a confirmatory study in those trauma patients who have an equivocal IPG or Doppler ultrasound examination for DVT.[82][98][99]
  2. Ascending venography should not be used to screen asymptomatic trauma patients at high risk for DVT. A role for ascending venography may exist in research studies on the incidence of DVT in trauma patients.

Level 3

Magnetic resonance venography may have a role in diagnosing acute DVT in the trauma patient, especially with clots in the calf and pelvis (areas where venography and ultrasound are less reliable).