A European view on the North American Fifth Consensus on antithrombotic therapy

An American-Canadian group of experts have, in the November 1998 issue of C HEST, published for the fifth time their recommendations for antithrombotic therapy. This remarkable consensus document was the result of an extensive review of the literature by an interdisciplinary group, Considering the im pact. of this document on medical practice, also outside North America, a g roup, of European experts reviewed in detail the fifth report, particularly the sections on clinical indications of antithrombotic treatment. The aim was not to indicate the many areas of agreement and to quote literature tha t has become available since publication of the last consensus documents, h ut rather to refer to the gray zones of uncertainty and limited number of d ivergent opinions.