Developing and validating a scale to measure the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients who are candidates for surgery

Abstract

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a prevalent and potentially fatal complication that can occur in patients following surgical procedures. It is crucial to identify risk factors in order to prevent DVT or intervene early.Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a scale specifically designed to measure the risk of DVT in patients who are undergoing surgical procedures.Methods: This study was conducted in 2022 within the hospitals situated in Zahedan city (Iran). The study encompassed a total of 120 patients who were deemed suitable for surgery. The selection of these patients was accomplished utilizing the available sampling technique. The assessment of these patients was executed employing the DVT risk assessment scale, which comprises three dimensions, 12 items, and 45 sub-items. The researchers examined the scale's validity using the content validity index (CVI), content validity ratio (CVR), and face validity, as well as reliability, which included internal consistency and measurement stability over time.Results: A panel of 10 experts confirmed the scale's content and face validity. The total content index value for the scale was also calculated to be 0.94. Additionally, the content validity ratio for all the items exceeded the value of 0.62, ensuring that all the items were retained. Additionally, the scale demonstrated internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.91. The mean risk of DVT is 22.88, indicating a moderate thrombosis risk.Conclusion: The present study's findings indicate that the scale utilized to assess the risk of DVT in surgical candidates exhibits strong validity and reliability. Therefore, it can be effectively employed to measure the risk of DVT in patients scheduled for surgery who are referred to the operating room.

Keywords

• deep vein thrombosis
• validity
• reliability
• scale
• surgery