Two comparable groups, each of which comprised 41 patients, were treated with long-acting phenprocoumon and short-acting acenocoumarol, respectively, for six months. When phenprocoumon was used, a significantly more stable anticoagulant effect was seen. This was reflected by a greater percentage of thrombotest values within the intended therapeutic zone ranging from 5 to 10% thrombotest activity, inclusive. Moreover, there was a difference in the facility with which patients could be kept in the therapeutic range: the number of alterations that had to be made in maintenance dose and control interval was less with phenprocoumon than with acenocoumarol.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThis work was supported in part by Propharma N. V.