Safety and efficacy of salvianolate injection in preventing deep vein thrombosis after total hip replacement

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of salvianolate injection in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following total hip replacement. Methods: A total of 114 patients who underwent total hip replacement at Department of Trauma, Fengfeng General Hospital of North China Medical and Health Group, Handan City, China from March 2019 to March 2022 were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into study group (n = 57) and control group (n = 57). The control group received conventional treatment (low molecular weight heparin) while the study group was administered salvianolate injection combined with conventional treatment. Incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at 7 and 14 days after surgery, platelet function indices, including platelet count, glycoprotein Ⅱb/Ⅲa (GPⅡb/Ⅲa), and CD62P, coagulation function indices (prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer), and hemodynamics indices, viz, peak blood flow velocity (Vp) and average velocity (Va) were investigated and compared. Results: Incidence of DVT was 1.75 % (1/57) at 7 days and 5.26 % (3/57) at 14 days in the study group, and 5.26 % (3/57) at 7 days and 17.54 % (10/57) at 14 days in control group. Incidence of DVT in the study group was significantly reduced compared to control group 14 days after surgery (p < 0.05). Also, the study group had significantly lower visual analog scale (VAS) scores at 7 days and 1 month after surgery compared to control group (p < 0.05). Platelet count, GPⅡb/Ⅲa, and CD62P in the study group were significantly lower than in control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Salvianolate injection significantly prevents DVT after total hip replacement, improves hemodynamics, and coagulation function, and thus contributes to recovery of hip function. Further clinical trials are, however, required to validate these findings.