Objective. To evaluate the practice of prescribing thromboprophylaxis in surgical patients of a third level institution in the city of Bogotá, characterizing the risk of the population through the Caprini scale, thus promoting the implementation of strategies for risk management. Methods. Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. Carried out in a third level clinic located in Colombia. A sample of 151 patients was taken, including those whose hospital stay was longer than 72 hours, with discharge in April 2018 and due to hospitalization associated with surgical procedures. Information was collected through the review of clinical histories where the formulation of thromboprophylaxis, important antecedents, risk factors for venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) and bleeding were verified. Results. Of the total sample of the target population, 55.6% were women. Procedures performed by General Surgery were the most prevalent 49.0%, the body mass index greater than 25 was the most common risk factor 36.4%, and 3 major risk factors for bleeding were identified. Forty percent of the prescribed schemes were pharmacological, using especially Enoxaparin 96.7%. We identified 120 patients with moderate and high risk, according to the parameters of the Caprini scale, of this population 42.5% did not receive thromboprophylaxis. Conclusions. The prescription of thromboprophylaxis in surgical patients does not adhere to the recommendations of international guidelines. Therefore, its application needs to be improved to prevent risk.
