Eligibility for home treatment of deep vein thrombosis: prospective study
BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7296.1212 (Published 19 May 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:1212
- Thomas Schwarz, clinical research fellow (tho_schwarz@hotmail.com),
- Benjamin Schmidt, clinical research fellow,
- Ulrike Höhlein, medical student,
- Jan Beyer, clinical research fellow,
- Hans-Egbert Schröder, professor,
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Vascular Medicine, University Hospital “Carl Gustav Carus”, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
- Correspondence to: T Schwarz
- Accepted 16 January 2001
Low molecular weight heparin is safe and effective for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis.1 We have recently shown in a randomised study that immobilisation is not necessary.2 The results challenge the traditional notion that these patients must be treated in hospital. For selected patients, outpatient treatment has been shown to be safe and effective. 3 4 We determined the proportion of patients who still require admission to hospital and why.
Methods and results
Between 1 November 1998 and 15 August 1999 all patients presenting to the vascular diagnostics unit of the University Hospital Dresden, Germany, as outpatients with acute deep vein thrombosis in the leg were prospectively evaluated regarding eligibilty for home treatment. We defined acute deep vein thrombosis as non-compressible deep veins on ultrasonography (UM9 …