Duration of treatment
Duration of treatment
| Clinical Condition | Duration of Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Calf DVT | precipitating factor* | 6 weeks to 3 months |
| Spontaneous | 3 months | |
| Proximal DVT | precipitating factor* | 3 months |
| Spontaneous | 3 – 6 months | |
| Pulmonary Embolus | 3 – 6 months | |
| Recurrent DVTs or PEs (more than 2) | Lifelong | |
| Muscular vein thrombosis | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories for 7 days Rescan if symptoms unchanged or worse Consider Clexane 1mg/kg for 10 days |
|
| Superficial thrombophlebitis | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories for 2 weeks Consider Clexane 1mg/kg for 10 days if symptoms do not settle and there is a significant clot burden |
|
There is an increasing trend to recommend longterm treatment to patients who have had a spontaneous DVT or PE as the risk of a recurrence is approximately 3 to 5% per annum, with a 10 year risk of approximately 40%. Therefore if the patient has a low risk of bleeding consider longterm treatment after a single spontaneous event.