ABSTRACT NUMBER: ESOC2026A132 AUDIT OF MECHANICAL VTE PROPHYLAXIS COMPLIANCE IN STROKE PATIENTS ON A NHS STROKE WARD: A SERVICE IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE

Abstract Background and aims Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious complication following stroke and can lead to significant mortality and morbidity. Healthcare professionals must ensure patients correctly adhere to VTE mechanical prophylaxis, such as Flowtron compression devices or Geko units, to mitigate this risk. National Clinical Guideline for Stroke (2023) recommend consistent use until 'a patient no longer has significant reduced mobility relative to their normal or anticipated mobility’ Aims Methods Real-time compliance monitoring was conducted by observing patients twice daily for correct application (properly attached and ON) of prescribed devices. Results Over four weeks on the stroke ward in July 2024, 42 patients received VTE mechanical prophylaxis. Only 19 (45%) received it as prescribed. The remaining 23 patients (55%) were noncompliant at least once: 14 patients (33%) missed one observation, 7 (17%) missed two, and 2 (5%) missed three. Conclusions These findings reveal a critical gap in VTE prophylaxis adherence. Addressing this issue required increasing awareness about the importance of consistent VTE mechanical prophylaxis among patients and healthcare staff. To address this, the following measures were implemented: 1) presenting the results and emphasizing their importance in a staff meeting, 2) introducing ward posters highlighting the importance of VTE prophylaxis, and 3) modifying the prescribing schedule from ‘daily’ to ‘QDS’ to encourage staff checks. Ongoing monitoring and staff engagement remain essential to ensure patients consistently receive their prescribed VTE prophylaxis. Conflict of interest Sabine Tromp: nothing to disclose Figure 1 - belongs to Conclusions