Table 1.

Recommendations on prevention of VTE based on the patient populations and interventions

Patients who are acutely ill: pharmacological prophylaxis, addressing the following comparisons:

Parenteral anticoagulant vs no parenteral anticoagulant

LMWH vs unfractionated heparin

Fondaparinux vs low molecular weight heparin or unfractionated heparin

Patients who are critically ill: pharmacological prophylaxis, addressing the following comparisons:

Any heparin vs no heparin

LMWH vs unfractionated heparin

Patients who are acutely or critically ill: mechanical prophylaxis, addressing the following comparisons:

Mechanical vs pharmacological prophylaxis

Mechanical vs no prophylaxis

Mechanical combined with pharmacological vs mechanical alone

Mechanical combined with pharmacological vs pharmacological alone

Intermittent pneumatic compression stockings vs graduated compression stockings

DOACs in medical patients who are acutely ill

DOACs vs prophylactic LMWH

Extended-duration DOACs vs shorter-duration non-DOAC prophylaxis

Extended-duration outpatient prophylaxis vs inpatient-only prophylaxis

Medical patients who are acutely ill

Medical patients who are critically ill

Patients who are chronically ill or those in nursing home

Pharmacological prophylaxis vs no prophylaxis

Medical outpatients with minor provoking factors for VTE (eg, immobility, minor injury, illness, and infection)

Prophylaxis vs no prophylaxis

Long-distance travelers: prophylaxis addressing the following comparisons:

Graduated compression stockings

LMWH

Aspirin vs no prophylaxis

Adapted from the article by Schünemann et al.³

DOACS, direct oral anticoagulants; LMHW, low molecular weight heparin.