Duration of anticoagulation for venous thromboembolic events

Circulation. 2014 Dec 23;130(25):2343-8. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010456.

Abstract

A 68 year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diverticulitis presents to your office for follow-up care. Three months ago, she developed 3 days of pain and swelling in her right calf and thigh. Lower extremity venous ultrasonography demonstrated a deep vein thrombosis in the right femoral vein. No identifiable cause was noted. She was started on therapeutic enoxaparin as a bridge to warfarin anticoagulation for idiopathic venous thromboembolism. Since discharge, her international normalized ratio (INR) has been maintained between 2 and 3. She has no history of prior bleeding or thromboembolic events. She wants to know how long to continue anticoagulation, and what she can do to minimize her risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use*
  • Evidence-Based Medicine*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Recurrence
  • Time Factors
  • Venous Thromboembolism / drug therapy*
  • Venous Thromboembolism / prevention & control
  • Venous Thrombosis / drug therapy*
  • Venous Thrombosis / prevention & control

Substances

  • Anticoagulants
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors