ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) in the treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). MethodsThe clinical data of 496 patients with DVT who were treated in our hospital from January 2010 to October 2014 were analyzed retrospectively, to compare the time of venous pressure decreased to normal (T1) and time of circumference difference decreased to normal (T2) in patients received pure therapy (control group) and pure therapy combined with IPC (combination group), according to different types of patients in acute, sub-acute, and chronic phase. In addition, comparison of the remission rate of pulmonary embolism (PE), incidence of PE, and recurrence of DVT was performed between the control group and combination group too. Results① For DVT patients in acute stage, the time of T1 and T2 of patients in central type, peripheral type, and mixed type who received anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis/catheter thrombolysis+IPC, were significantly shorter than those patients who received only anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis/catheter thrombolysis (P<0.05). For DVT patients in sub-acute stage, the time of T1 and T2 of patients in central type and mixed type who received anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis+IPC, were significantly shorter than those of patients who received only anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis (P<0.05), the time of T1 of patients in peripheral type who received anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis+IPC, were significantly shorter than those of patients who received only anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis (P<0.01), but the time of T2 of patients in peripheral type didn't differed between patients who received only anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis and anticoagulant therapy/systemic thrombolysis +IPC (P>0.05). For DVT patients in chronic stage, the time of T1 and T2 of patients in central type and mixed type didn't differed between patients who received only anticoagulant therapy and anticoagulant therapy +IPC (P>0.05); the time of T1 of patients in peripheral type who received anticoagulant therapy+IPC, were significantly shorter than those of patients who received only anticoagulant therapy (P<0.05), but the time of T2 didn't differed with each other (P>0.05). ② There were 63 patients in control group and 47 patients in combination group had PE before treatment. After the treatment, the PE symptom of control group relieved in 56 patients (88.89%, 56/63) and maintained in 7 patients (11.11%, 7/63), the symptom of combination group relieved in 44 patients (93.62%, 44/47) and maintained in 3 patients (6.38%, 3/47), so the remission rate of PE symptom in combination group was higher (P<0.05). There were 6 patients suffered from new PE in control group[4.26% (6/141)] and 0 in combination group[0 (0/245)] after treatment in patients who hadn't PE before treatment, and the incidence of PE was lower in combination group (P<0.05). ③ There were 325 patients were followed up for 3-36 months with the median time of 27 months, including 157 patents in control group and 168 patients in combination group. During the follow-up period, 74 patients recurred[47.13% (74/157)] in control group and 46 patients recurred[27.38% (46/168)] in combination group, and the recurrence rate was lower in combination group (P<0.05). In addition, 41 patients suffered from post-thrombotic syndrome[26.11% (41/157)] in control group and 27 patients[16.07% (27/168)] in combination group, and the incidence of post-thrombotic syndrome was lower in combination group (P<0.05). ConclusionsIPC can significantly shorten the time of venous pressure and the circumference difference decreased to normal for DVT patients in acute stage and majority DVT patients in sub-acute stage, and it can relieve the clinical symptoms of PE, reduce the incidence rate of PE and recurrence rate of DVT. Therefore, IPC is a safe, reliable, and effective treatment for DVT patients in acute stage and majority DVT patients in sub-acute stage.