Abstract/Text: Until the 1990s, venous thromboembolism (VTE) was viewed primarily as a complication of hospitalization for major surgery (or associated with the late stage of terminal illness). However, recent trials in patients hospitalized with a wide variety of acute medical illnesses have demonstrated a risk of VTE in medical patients comparable with that seen after major general surgery. In addition, epidemiologic studies have shown that between one quarter and one half of all clinically recognized symptomatic VTEs occur in individuals who are neither hospitalized nor recovering from a major illness. This expanding understanding of the population at risk challenges physicians to carefully examine risk factors for VTE to identify high-risk patients who could benefit from prophylaxis. Factors sufficient by themselves to prompt physicians to consider VTE prophylaxis include major surgery, multiple trauma, hip fracture, or lower extremity paralysis because of spinal cord injury. Additional risk factors, such as previous VTE, increasing age, cardiac or respiratory failure, prolonged immobility, presence of central venous lines, estrogens, and a wide variety of inherited and acquired hematological conditions contribute to an increased risk for VTE. These predisposing factors are seldom sufficient by themselves to justify the use of prophylaxis. Nevertheless, individual risk factors, or combinations thereof, can have important implications for the type and duration of appropriate prophylaxis and should be carefully reviewed to assess the overall risk of VTE in each patient.

Abstract/Text: BACKGROUND: Whether the oral factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban can be an alternative to warfarin in patients with venous thromboembolism is unclear.
METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, noninferiority study, we randomly assigned patients with acute venous thromboembolism, who had initially received heparin, to receive edoxaban at a dose of 60 mg once daily, or 30 mg once daily (e.g., in the case of patients with creatinine clearance of 30 to 50 ml per minute or a body weight below 60 kg), or to receive warfarin. Patients received the study drug for 3 to 12 months. The primary efficacy outcome was recurrent symptomatic venous thromboembolism. The principal safety outcome was major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding.
RESULTS: A total of 4921 patients presented with deep-vein thrombosis, and 3319 with a pulmonary embolism. Among patients receiving warfarin, the time in the therapeutic range was 63.5%. Edoxaban was noninferior to warfarin with respect to the primary efficacy outcome, which occurred in 130 patients in the edoxaban group (3.2%) and 146 patients in the warfarin group (3.5%) (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 1.13; P<0.001 for noninferiority). The safety outcome occurred in 349 patients (8.5%) in the edoxaban group and 423 patients (10.3%) in the warfarin group (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.94; P=0.004 for superiority). The rates of other adverse events were similar in the two groups. A total of 938 patients with pulmonary embolism had right ventricular dysfunction, as assessed by measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels; the rate of recurrent venous thromboembolism in this subgroup was 3.3% in the edoxaban group and 6.2% in the warfarin group (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.98).
CONCLUSIONS: Edoxaban administered once daily after initial treatment with heparin was noninferior to high-quality standard therapy and caused significantly less bleeding in a broad spectrum of patients with venous thromboembolism, including those with severe pulmonary embolism. (Funded by Daiichi-Sankyo; Hokusai-VTE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00986154.).

Abstract/Text: BACKGROUND: The current standard initial therapies for deep venous thrombosis are low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin. In a dose-ranging study of patients with symptomatic deep venous thrombosis, fondaparinux had efficacy and a safety profile similar to those of low-molecular-weight heparin (dalteparin).
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether fondaparinux has efficacy and safety similar to those of enoxaparin in patients with deep venous thrombosis.
DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind study.
SETTING: 154 centers worldwide.
PATIENTS: 2205 patients with acute symptomatic deep venous thrombosis.
INTERVENTION: Fondaparinux, 7.5 mg (5.0 mg in patients weighing <50 kg and 10.0 mg in patients weighing >100 kg) subcutaneously once daily, or enoxaparin, 1 mg/kg of body weight, subcutaneously twice daily for at least 5 days and until vitamin K antagonists induced an international normalized ratio greater than 2.0.
MEASUREMENTS: The primary efficacy outcome was the 3-month incidence of symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolic complications. The main safety outcomes were major bleeding during initial treatment and death. An independent, blinded committee adjudicated all outcomes.
RESULTS: 43 (3.9%) of 1098 patients randomly assigned to fondaparinux had recurrent thromboembolic events compared with 45 (4.1%) of 1107 patients randomly assigned to enoxaparin (absolute difference, -0.15 percentage point [95% CI, -1.8 to 1.5 percentage points]). Major bleeding occurred in 1.1% of patients receiving fondaparinux and 1.2% of patients receiving enoxaparin. Mortality rates were 3.8% and 3.0%, respectively.
LIMITATIONS: Follow-up was incomplete in 0.4% of fondaparinux-treated patients and 1.0% of enoxaparin-treated patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Once-daily subcutaneous fondaparinux was at least as effective (not inferior) and safe as twice-daily, body weight-adjusted enoxaparin in the initial treatment of patients with symptomatic deep venous thrombosis.

Abstract/Text: BACKGROUND: Conventional anticoagulant treatment for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) effectively prevents thrombus extension and recurrence, but does not dissolve the clot, and many patients develop post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). We aimed to examine whether additional treatment with catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) using alteplase reduced development of PTS.
METHODS: Participants in this open-label, randomised controlled trial were recruited from 20 hospitals in the Norwegian southeastern health region. Patients aged 18-75 years with a first-time iliofemoral DVT were included within 21 days from symptom onset. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by picking lowest number of sealed envelopes to conventional treatment alone or additional CDT. Randomisation was stratified for involvement of the pelvic veins with blocks of six. We assessed two co-primary outcomes: frequency of PTS as assessed by Villalta score at 24 months, and iliofemoral patency after 6 months. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00251771.
FINDINGS: 209 patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups (108 control, 101 CDT). At completion of 24 months' follow-up, data for clinical status were available for 189 patients (90%; 99 control, 90 CDT). At 24 months, 37 (41·1%, 95% CI 31·5-51·4) patients allocated additional CDT presented with PTS compared with 55 (55·6%, 95% CI 45·7-65·0) in the control group (p=0·047). The difference in PTS corresponds to an absolute risk reduction of 14·4% (95% CI 0·2-27·9), and the number needed to treat was 7 (95% CI 4-502). Iliofemoral patency after 6 months was reported in 58 patients (65·9%, 95% CI 55·5-75·0) on CDT versus 45 (47·4%, 37·6-57·3) on control (p=0·012). 20 bleeding complications related to CDT included three major and five clinically relevant bleeds.
INTERPRETATION: Additional CDT should be considered in patients with a high proximal DVT and low risk of bleeding.
FUNDING: South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority; Research Council of Norway; University of Oslo; Oslo University Hospital.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract/Text: BACKGROUND: Bed rest is often recommended as part of the management of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), though this recommendation is not clearly evidence-based.
METHODS: Using the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, and Embase, this meta-analysis considered all randomized studies and prospective registries that compared the outcomes of patients with DVT, PE, or both, managed with bed rest versus early ambulation, in addition to anticoagulation. For each study, data regarding the incidence of new PE, new or progression of DVT, and death from all causes, were used to calculate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
RESULTS: The 5 studies retained in this analysis included a total of 3048 patients. When compared to bed rest, early ambulation was not associated with a higher incidence of a new PE (RR 1.03; 95% CI 0.65-1.63; p=0.90). Furthermore, early ambulation was associated with a trend toward a lower incidence of new PE and new or progression of DVT than bed rest (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.55-1.14; p=0.21) and lower incidence of new PE and overall mortality (RR 0.79; 95% CI 0.402-1.56; p=0.50).
CONCLUSIONS: Compared with bed rest, early ambulation of patients with DVT, PE or both, was not associated with a higher risk of progression of DVT, new PE or death. This meta-analysis does not support the systematic recommendation of bed rest as part of the early management of patients presenting with DVT, PE of both.