EFFICACY OF ANTICOAGULATION POST-INFERIOR VENA-CAVAL FILTER PLACEMENT

Anticoagulation with heparin or Coumadin is usually effective in the m anagement of deep vein thrombosis; however, if anticoagulation treatme nt is contraindicated, is ineffective, or leads to adverse effects, in ferior vena caval (IVC) placement of a filter is indicated. The purpos e of this study is to determine whether increased early adverse effect s are present in patients not given anticoagulation medication after p lacement of an IVC filter. The records of 240 consecutive patients who received IVC filter placement were reviewed for indications for place ment, as well as for whether patients received anticoagulation medicat ion on discharge. There were 41 in-patient mortalities. Of the remaini ng 199 patients, 100 were discharged and prescribed anticoagulation me dication, and 99 were not. Patients were followed for 3 to 60 months. These results suggest that no early adverse effects are seen in patien ts who are not given anticoagulants after IVC filter placement.