SCDs on vascular patients

[Guest 1152923]

     I'm an RN, CNOR and have over 25+ years in CVOR/General Surgery.  Over my career, I have circulated or scrubbed thousands of cardiothoracic or vascular surgeries/procedures.  What are your thoughts on placing SCDs on patients who will receive systemic heparinization?  I've done so many times in the past, unless of course, the saphenous vein may be harvested or there is an absolute contraindication; DVT, lower extremity cellulitis/infection, thrombus, PE...if I am uncertain at all, I confer with the surgeon and allow them to make the decision.  I had a coworker (with much, much less experience) try to tell in so many words that this was bad practice.  What say you?

[nurseee24, ADN, BSN, RN]

At my facility, we usually do not put SCDs on our lower extremity vascular surgery pts, even if its just something endovascular... this has a lot to do with our surgeon groups preference though. If it is a carotid or something upper extremity, we generally do.