Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the utility of a combination of the modified Caprini score and D-dimer levels for the evaluation and management of lower extremity venous thrombosis following lung cancer surgery. The purpose was to offer insights for developing clinical intervention programs. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 224 patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer at the First Central Hospital of Baoding City. General patient data and D-dimer levels on the first day post-surgery were collected. The modified Caprini risk assessment score was calculated. All patients underwent ultrasonography of the lower limb veins before and after surgery to identify venous thrombosis in the lower limb veins. Differences in lower extremity venous thrombosis and D-dimer levels among patients in various modified Caprini score groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Based on the modified Caprini risk assessment score, all patients were categorized into three groups: the low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk groups. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, but the differences in the rates of lower extremity venous thrombosis in the low, intermediate, and high-risk Caprini risk groups (16.5%, 19.2%, and 37.1%, respectively) were statistically significant. Out of the total 224 patients, 47 (21%) were diagnosed with venous thromboembolisms post-surgery, and all of them had thrombosis of the intermuscular veins of the lower extremity. The difference in the modified Caprini risk assessment score between patients with and without lower extremity venous thrombosis was statistically significant (P = 0.035), as were the postoperative D-dimer levels (1.28 ± 1.64 vs. 2.69 ± 2.77, respectively; P < 0.05) between these two groups of patients. The modified Caprini risk assessment score showed an association with lower extremity venous thrombosis (r = 0.15, P = 0.56) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.59. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that combining the modified Caprini risk assessment score with D-dimer measurements enhanced the accuracy of assessing the severity of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This combination can be beneficial in evaluating thrombosis risk post-lung cancer surgery and holds significant clinical utility.