Key result
Anticoagulant therapy for 3 months resulted in rare fatal PE during treatment (0.4% for DVT patients, 1.5% for PE patients), though PE patients had a higher case-fatality rate from recurrence.
Why the study?
What is the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism in patients with symptomatic DVT or PE treated with 3 months of anticoagulant therapy?
Population
Patients presenting with symptomatic deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism from 25 prospective studies
Design
Meta-analysis
Follow-up
During and following 3 months of anticoagulant therapy
Authors
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Low fatal PE risk supports 3-month anticoagulation for symptomatic VTE; strengthens evidence for finite therapy duration.
Meta-Analysis
What is the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism in patients with symptomatic DVT or PE treated with 3 months of anticoagulant therapy?
Absolute Event Rate: 0.4% vs 1.5%
Fatal PE is rare during and following 3 months of anticoagulant therapy for symptomatic DVT or PE, though patients presenting with PE have a higher risk of dying from recurrent VTE than those presenting with DVT.
James D. Douketis (1998) conducted a meta-analysis in Symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). Anticoagulant therapy was evaluated on Fatal PE during anticoagulant therapy (DVT vs PE patients). Anticoagulant therapy for 3 months resulted in rare fatal PE during treatment (0.4% for DVT patients, 1.5% for PE patients), though PE patients had a higher case-fatality rate from recurrence.
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