Scope of the Problem: VTE is the third most common cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke are more common) but is the most preventable medical problem among patients hospitalized with other illnesses. DVT often causes chronic venous insufficiency, a potentially disabling and painful condition that lowers the quality of life. Acute PE may cause death or disabling chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. After discharge from a short-term hospital stay, one study reported that the incidence of DVT was 48 per 100,000 and the incidence of PE (with or without DVT) was 23 per 100,000.9 In addition, the incidence of VTE increases dramatically with age.10-11 Clinical manifestations of DVT often include swelling, pain, and extremity discoloration and may lead to PE. Manifestations of PE may include dyspnea, pleuritic pain, cough, and hemoptysis or may be asymptomatic.12-13 The 28-day mortality rate for a first VTE event is alarmingly high, approximately 11%.14 In addition, 3-month mortality rates for PE have been reported as high as 17%.15 However, appropriate prophylaxis—using anticoagulants, mechanical measures, or both anticoagulants plus mechanical measures—can prevent most episodes of VTE16. For example, mechanical measures as simple as "low tech" and inexpensive graduated compression stockings can reduce VTE rates.16a, 16b, 16c