Vasopressors and deep vein thrombosis in spinal cord injury: A retrospective analysis

• Vasopressors is not associated with increase DVT risk in SCI patients with thromboprophylaxis. • Vasopressor use correlates with longer hospital stays and higher ICU admissions. • Propensity score matching adjusted for key confounders, enhancing result reliability. • Further studies are needed to evaluate differential effects of vasopressors on DVT risk. Hemodynamic instability following spinal cord injury (SCI) often necessitates vasopressor therapy, yet the relationship between vasopressors and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risk remains unclear. We conducted an IRB-approved retrospective study of adult SCI patients with neurologic deficits. Propensity score matching was used to compare patients who received vasopressors with those who did not. Among 28 matched pairs (from 109 patients), vasopressor use was not associated with higher DVT incidence (3.6% vs. 0.0%; p>0.99). However, vasopressor patients had longer hospital stays (18 vs. 10 days; p=0.031) and more ICU admissions (92.9% vs. 53.6%; p=0.006). In SCI patients, vasopressors were not associated with increased DVT risk, though their use correlated with longer hospitalizations and higher ICU utilization.