Home treatment with rivaroxaban for patients with a low-risk first deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism is associated with low rates of thrombosis recurrence or major bleeding, according to data from a prospective observational study.
The study enrolled 71 patients with low-risk deep vein thrombosis (DVT), 30 with pulmonary embolism, and five with both, all of whom were discharged with prescriptions for 15mg of rivaroxaban twice a day for 21 days and then 20 mg once per day for a further month.
Dr. Daren M. Beam
There were no cases of thrombosis recurrence within the treatment period – although three patients had a recurrent DVT after stopping treatment – and no incidents of major or clinically relevant bleeding while on the therapy, as was reported in the July edition of Academic Emergency Medicine.
“This preliminary report provides data to support the initial outpatient treatment of low-risk ED patients with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism,” wrote Dr. Daren M. Beam and colleagues from the Indiana University School of Medicine (Academic Emergency Medicine 2015, 22:789–795 [doi:10.1111/acem.12711]).
The study was partly supported by the Lilly Physician Scientist Award. One author declared consultancies with Stago Diagnostica, Janssen, and Pfizer.