The limited evidence suggests that home management is cost effective and preferred by patients. Further large trials comparing these treatments are unlikely to occur. Therefore, home treatment is likely to become the norm; further research will be directed to resolving practical issues.
Once-daily enoxaparin in the outpatient setting versus unfractionated heparin in hospital for the treatment of symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis.
Once- and twice-daily low-molecular-weight heparin administered in hospital have been shown to be effective and safe for treating deep-vein thrombosis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of deep-vein thrombosis treatment using once-daily subcutaneous enoxaparin in the outpatient setting with intravenous unfractionated heparin in hospital.
                This randomized, parallel-group, open-label study was conducted in 18 centers in 4 countries. In total, 298 patients with symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis who were eligible for home treatment were randomized to treatment with enoxaparin in the outpatient setting (1.5 mg/kg subcutaneously once-daily) or unfractionated heparin in hospital (5000 IU bolus and 1250 IU/hour intravenous infusion) for > or =5 days. Clinical endpoints were assessed during a 6-month follow-up period.
                Among all patients treated with enoxaparin, there was a trend towards fewer recurrent deep-vein thromboses (1.3% vs. 5.4%; p = 0.060) and pulmonary emboli (1.3% vs. 4.1%; p = 0.17) compared with patients treated with unfractionated heparin. When considering a post-hoc combined endpoint of deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, significantly fewer events occurred in the enoxaparin group than in the unfractionated-heparin group (2.7% vs. 8.8%; p = 0.026). The incidences of bleeding events and adverse events in the enoxaparin and unfractionated-heparin groups were similar.
                Once-daily subcutaneous enoxaparin in the outpatient setting is at least as effective and as well tolerated as in-hospital intravenous unfractionated heparin for treatment of deep-vein thrombosis.