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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and preventable complication of acute ischemic stroke. Whether low-molecular-weight heparin is a more effective prophylactic agent than unfractionated heparin (UFH), however, has not been clearly demonstrated.
In a manufacturer-sponsored, open-label, multinational trial, 1762 patients (mean age, 66) with acute ischemic stroke were randomly assigned within 48 hours of symptom onset to receive either the low-molecular-weight heparin enoxaparin (40 mg subcutaneously once daily) or UFH (5000 U subcutaneously every 12 hours) for 10 days (range, 6–14 days; mean, 10.5 days).
A total of 1335 patients received at least one dose of assigned medication and had a venogram, ultrasonogram, or both by the end of the …