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After a first episode of deep venous thrombosis (DVT), most patients receive anticoagulation therapy with warfarin for 3 to 6 months. However, thrombi can recur after therapy is discontinued. Although ongoing anticoagulation can forestall recurrence, the longer the duration of therapy, the higher the risk for major bleeding. To provide guidance in selecting the optimal duration of anticoagulation therapy, investigators conducted a randomized, multicenter trial involving 538 Italian outpatients with first-proximal DVT to assess whether serial duplex ultrasonography (US) can facilitate treatment decisions.
After receiving anticoagulation therapy for 3 months, patients were randomized to fixed-duration or US-guided (flexible-duration) warfarin …