[Physical treatment of deep venous thrombosis: bed rest or mobilization?]

The need of prolonged bed-rest for the treatment of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT), which was considered essential to control the thrombotic phenomenon and to prevent Pulmonary Embolism (PE) until ten years ago, has now been critically reviewed in the light of the great success of the Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) in medical therapy of DVT. There is a great evidence for bed-rest and immobility to play a pivotal role in the growth and in the progression of a venous thrombosis. The Authors emphasize, both on the international reports and their own experience, that, in most cases, medical treatment of DVT consists of an outpatient--ambulatory care based on immediate mobilization and ambulation, on external compression therapy, on early LMWH administration and late oral anticoagulation. This regimen provides great benefits in order to prevent PE, to improve the quality of life, to reduce the hospital and the anticoagulant monitoring charges.