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A patient with a first episode of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) that is provoked by a transient risk factor — as opposed to an unprovoked VTE caused by intrinsic thrombophilic or unknown conditions — generally is treated with anticoagulation for 3 months. Risk for recurrence after stopping anticoagulation in patients with provoked VTE is low but is poorly characterized according to specific transient risk factors (e.g., surgery, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, air or auto travel, immobility due to major trauma or illness).
In a meta-analysis, researchers examined 11 prospective cohort studies or randomized controlled trials in which patients were followed for 24 months after stopping anticoagulant therapy (2268 patients; 150 re…