Anti-Clotting Drug Works Better with Time

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Anti-Clotting Drug Works Better with Time
August 29, 2002 01:05:46 PM PST, HealthScout News


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THURSDAY, Aug. 29 (HealthScoutNews) -- The use of a new anti-clotting drug for four weeks, compared to just one week, greatly reduced the number of potentially fatal blood clots in people who had hip fracture surgery.

A new study found the drug fondaparinux (brand name Arixtra) virtually eliminated blood clots in the people who took it for four weeks. The research is being presented today at the annual meeting of the International Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology.

The people who took fondaparinux for four weeks had a 96 percent reduction in deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) compared to people who took the drug for one week, the study says. It found that 1.4 percent of those on the extended treatment had either DVT or PE, while 35 percent of the people on the weeklong treatment had some form of DVT or PE.

The study included 656 people at 57 sites in 16 countries. This is the first study to evaluate the effectiveness of the four-week treatment.

About 800,000 Americans suffer DVT each year. It can lead to PE when a clot in a lower limb moves to the lungs, a condition that kills about 60,000 Americans a year.

DVT is a threat following hip fracture or hip and knee orthopedic surgery.

That's because blood vessels can be damaged during surgery, tissue debris can increase blood's tendency to clot, and extended periods of immobility can slow blood flow.