In a prospective double-blind trial, we treated 194 patients with acute venous thromboembolism with heparin or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH; Fragmin). To evaluate the most important prognostic factors for bleeding, the presenting clinical features of the patients, the patients' anticoagulant responses, and the doses of the drugs were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. No significant differences in clinical risk factors associated with bleeding were observed between heparin and LMWH. The univariate analyses ranked the parameters in the following order of importance: World Health Organization (WHO) performance status, history of bleeding tendency, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, recent trauma or surgery, leukocyte counts, platelet counts, duration of symptoms, and body surface area. Patients with WHO grade 4 had an eightfold increase in risk of bleeding as compared with WHO grade 1. Assessment of the individual contribution of each variable using multivariate regression analysis showed that the WHO performance status was the most important independent factor predicting major bleeding. A history of a bleeding tendency, recent trauma or surgery, and body surface area were also independent risk factors. The risk of bleeding was influenced by two factors related to the treatment, the patient's anticoagulant response as measured with the anti-Xa assay and the dose of the drug expressed as U/24 h/m2. An increased risk of bleeding was only observed at mean anti-Xa levels greater than 0.8 U/mL for both drugs. Significantly more major bleedings occurred in patients treated with high doses of the drugs, an observation that was independent of the concomitant anti-Xa levels. It should be considered whether choosing an appropriate initial dose adapted to the patient's body surface area and clinical risk factors can improve the efficacy to safety ratio of heparin treatment.

We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial in 194 unselected patients to determine the safety and efficacy of low molecular weight heparin (Fragmin) compared with standard heparin as the initial treatment of acute venous thromboembolism. Ninety-eight patients received continuous intravenous heparin, and 96 patients received Fragmin for 5-10 days. Doses were adjusted to maintain anti-Xa levels between 0.3 and 0.6 unit/ml for patients with a high risk for a bleeding complication and between 0.4 and 0.9 unit/ml for patients with a low risk for bleeding. Treatment was stopped when a therapeutic level of anticoagulation (International Normalized Ratio >3.5) was reached with coumarins. Thirteen patients in the heparin group and 10 patients in the Fragmin group had a major bleeding complication. The incidence of major and minor bleeding complications combined decreased from 48.9% to 38.5% (95% confidence interval for the dilference, -3.5% to +24.2%), corresponding with a relative bleeding risk reduction of 21.2%. There were no significant differences in efficacy as defined by new high-probability defects on repeat ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy of the lung in 80 patients: six of 46 patients in the heparin group and 3 of 34 patients in the Fragmin group had new defects (95% confidence interval for the difference, -9.4% to + 17.8%). We conclude that low molecular weight heparin (Fragmin) given in adjusted, continuous, and intravenous doses is safe and effective as initial treatment of acute venous thromboembolism compared with heparin. There is a trend in risk reduction for bleeding in favor of low molecular weight heparin, a trend, however, that is smaller than expected compared with animal studies. (Circulation 1989;80:935-940) H eparin is used in relatively large doses in the management of thromboembolic disease with the aim of preventing extension and embolization of venous thrombi. The treatment, however, is associated with an appreciable risk of hemorrhage. This has prompted research to improve the benefit to risk ratio of the drug.Heparin acts as an anticoagulant by accelerating the complex formation between antithrombin III and various activated clotting factors, among which factor Xa and thrombin are the most important. Fractionation of the polydisperse heparin according to molecular size has led to the development of low molecular weight heparin preparations with an increased anti-Xa to antithrombin ratio.1 These low molecular weight heparins have been shown to

Pharmacokinetics of a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) were studied in healthy volunteers. After an intravenous bolus injection of 5000 anti-Xa U in 5 healthy volunteers anti Xa activity disappeared according to the combination of saturable and a linear mechanism, preceded by a rapid initial disappearance. The apparent half-life of the anti Xa activity is about twice as long as that of standard heparin. In another set of experiments 5000 anti Xa U of LMWH were immediately followed by 50 mgr of Protamine Sulphate (PS). The curve of the anti Xa-activity parallelled the original curve at a level of about 30-40%. No rebound phenomenon was observed. The same dose of the LMWH followed by 100 mg of PS resulted in an anti Xa disappearance curve at an obvious higher level of about 50%. Also at this dose no rebound phenomenon was noticed.A continuous infusion of 10.000 anti Xa U/24 h during 10 hours was followed by 15.000 anti Xa U/24 h for another 10 hours after which the dose was raised to 20.000 anti Xa U/24 h for another 10 hours. Only the first infusion period resulted in a plateau fase. At the end of these experiments anti Xa activity was neutralized by 50 mg P.S. i.v. resulting in the disappearance of less than 50% of anti Xa activity. After subcutaneous administration of 15.000 anti Xa U (corresponding to the dose for i.v. treatment per day with this LMWH) peak levels of 1,1-1,8 anti Xa were reached after 3-4 hours. Supra-optimal anti Xa levels (higher than 0.9) were observed in all volunteers during a period of 5 hours. After 24 hours in none of the volunteers any anti Xa-activity could be detected.Conclusions:In contrast to previous reports pharmacokinetics of this LMWH do not essentially differ from those of standard heparin apart from its longer half-life and its high bioavialability after subcutaneous injection.

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