[Outpatient treatment of venous throemboembolic disease]

The advent of subcutaneous treatment with low -molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) and less intensive monitoring has made it possible for patients the treatment at home. Large, randomised, controlled trials have demonstrated that outpatient treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) with LMWH is as safe as the hospital-based treatment with intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH). However, the risk of death in patients with treatment at home is higher for pulmonary embolism (PE) than for DVT, and additional evidence is required before the results of outpatient treatment for DVT can be extrapolated to PE. The prognostic stratification of patients with acute PE has important management implications for the outpatient treatment.