CURRENT CONCEPTS OF ANTICOAGULATION THERAPY

The use of heparin and warfarin in the treatment of venous thromboembo lism has been revolutionized by the findings of clinical trials perfor med over the past decade. This article addresses some unanswered quest ions regarding the treatment of venous thromboembolism that are the su bjects of current clinical trials, such as the optimum duration of ora l anticoagulant therapy in patients with idiopathic or recurrent deep vein thrombosis and the role of low-molecular-weight heparin in the sh ort-term and longterm treatment of venous thrombosis.