Narrative Reviews
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022)
New perspectives for prevention of the post-thrombotic syndrome
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 10 February 2022
Accepted: 8 March 2022
Accepted: 8 March 2022
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While on conventional anticoagulation, up to 50% of patients with one or more episodes of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can develop post-thrombotic (PTS) manifestations. The potential strategies for PTS prevention are the treatment of acute DVT with catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), the use of elastic compression stockings (ECS) and that of the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in place of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for the initial and long-term treatment of DVT. Based on the results of three randomized clinical trials, CDT cannot be recommended on a routine basis because of its invasiveness, the associated risk of major bleedings and the uncertainty about its efficacy. According to the results of a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, ECS are no longer recommended for PTS prevention on a routine basis. However, based on the results of a recent subanalysis of a prospective cohort study, patients with residual vein thrombosis and/or popliteal valve reflux at three months are likely to benefit from ECS for at least six months. Finally, following the demonstration that the inadequacy of VKA therapy plays a key role in the PTS development, several retrospective and prospective studies have shown that the use of DOACs for the initial and long-term treatment of DVT in place of VKAs reduces the risk of PTS by approximately 50%. In conclusion, the availability of DOACs and the potential of ECS in selected patients with proximal DVT are expected to play a key role for decreasing the rate and the severity of PTS in the forthcoming years.
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Citations
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Prandoni P. New perspectives for prevention of the post-thrombotic syndrome. Bleeding Thromb Vascul Biol [Internet]. 2022 Mar. 22 [cited 2025 Nov. 9];1(1). Available from: https://www.btvb.org/btvb/article/view/20
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