DVT occurs in over 50% of some categories of hospitalized patients although many are asymptomatic. It prolongs the length of hospital stay, increases drug and laboratory costs and causes potentially fatal PE. PE remains the commonest cause of preventable death; 1% of all hospital admissions will die from this.

Traditionally in neurosurgery, specially trauma, it was regarded that patients who have venous thromboembolism was low. Over the recent years, this has been found to be much higher and was erroneously being under-reported.

Emphasis of balancing the risk of intracranial / spinal bleeding versus the risk of VTE has to be weighed. This balance is extremely precarious and needs to be finely tuned on an individual basis. This document aims to help in guiding the clinician in the use of VTE in neurosurgery patients.