A Clearinghouse for Information about Blood Clots (DVT/)PE) and Clotting Disorders (thrombophilia) provided as a public service by the University of North Carolina Blood Research Center

Category: Therapy

  • Aspirin Prevents Recurrent DVT and PE – WARFASA Study

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… A clinically very relevant study (WARFASA) published today (May 24, 2012) in the New England Journal of Medicine [ref 1] shows that aspirin, 100 mg per day, reduces the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with unprovoked (= idiopathic) VTE, who have completed 6 to 18 months of anticoagulant therapy, without…

  • Which Patient With DVT or PE to Refer to a Specialist?

    Stephan Moll, MD writes…  Not every patient with DVT or PE needs the same type of physician.  The best combination for a patient to have may be (a) a primary care provider, (b)  a health care professional in a formal Warfarin Clinic and (c) a physician with special expertise in thrombosis, and a primary care provider,  for a…

  • Recovery After a DVT or PE

    Stephan Moll, MD writes…  A discussion for patients of questions commonly asked after a DVT are discussed here, in Clot Connect’s patient blog, such as: How quickly can I expect improvement? How active can I be after a DVT or PE? When can I go back to doing sports? When is it safe to fly again…

  • Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and PE

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… Good news: The large phase 3 clinical trial comparing 3-12 months treatment of Rivaroxaban (Xarelto) with warfarin in patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary embolism was published on 3-26-2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine [reference 1], showing that Rivaroxaban was (a) noninferior to warfarin in its efficacy, (b) caused the…

  • INR Self-Testing

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… A detailed, practical discussion on INR self-testing for patients is available here, addressing: Reasons to do INR self-testing Which patients are suitable What INR home monitoring devices are available Whether the devices give reliable INR results Whether insurance companies pay for them

  • How Often Should the INR be Tested?

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… Traditionally, INR testing in patients on warfarin has been recommended by anticoagulation providers in the U.S. to be done at least once every 4 weeks. However, a recent study showed that testing every 3 months is sufficient

  • INR Patient Self-Testing

    Stephan Moll, MD writes… INR testing in patients on warfarin is classically done in a physician’s office or anticoagulation clinic, via (a) i.v. blood draw and central lab testing, or (b) a finger-stick and testing on a POC (point-of-care) device. POC devices give reliable INR results

  • Xarelto and DVT – Approved in Europe

    Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) was approved in Europe today (Dec 19th, 2011) for patients with acute DVT. This is good news