[Pulmonary embolism as one cause of death after spinal injury--the role of clexane].

The paper deals with fatal pulmonary embolism in patients treated at STOCER after spinal injuries, frequently with neurological impairment. A group of 417 patients treated between 1988 and 1989 has been compared with another one of 350 patients treated between 1995 and 1996. Antyembolic prophylactics has been employed in both groups: an Aspirin in the first group and Clexane in the second one. Forty-seven fatalities (11% of all patients) occurred in the first group (2 females, 44 males, mean age 55.1 years); 40% of them caused by pulmonary embolism (5% of all patients). Twenty-nine fatalities (8% of all patients) occurred in the second group (1 female, 28 males, mean age 60.2 years) 17% of them caused by pulmonary embolism (1.4% of all patients). A comparison between these groups indicates high efficacy of clexane antyembolic prophylactics in patients treated due to spinal injury especially if complicated neurologically.