People leaving hospital after medical illness do not benefit from extended clot reducing treatment

Taking rivaroxaban after discharge from hospital does not significantly reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism, either blood clots in large veins or of dying from clots travelling to the lungs. This large multinational trial sought to find out whether using the anticoagulant rivaroxaban for 45 days after discharge was effective. Continued use offered a very small reduction in the risk of a venous thromboembolism, but also slightly increased the risk of major bleeding. Neither result reached statistical significance. The trial was terminated because of the lower than expected number of clots.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news