'Thrombosis takedown, safeguarding your journey': QI project to raise Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) awareness among staff and patients at Hamad International Airport, North Node Clinic ...

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is the underlying cause of 1 in 4 deaths worldwide, the third leading cause of cardiovascular deaths and the number one cause of preventable deaths in hospitalized patients. VTE, encompassing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE), has a 5-10% mortality risk, up to 30% recurrence risk, and significant potential sequelae, including pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Air travel carries a relative VTE risk 2.8 times higher than the general population risk of 1/1,000. Furthermore, VTE risk increases by 26% for each two hours of added air travel, from over four hours. Hamad International Airport (HIA) North Node Clinic (NNC) is an acute medical clinic, located within one of the world’s busiest international airports. The aim of this Quality Improvement (QI) project is to place VTE firmly on the radar of both NNC staff and patients, primarily transiting air travelers, via enhanced VTE risk assessment and patient ...