Outcome data at three months for the Simoneau
study show general equivalence of the two treatment regimens. You will
note that the rates of recurrent VTE, major bleeding and death are lower
in both treatment groups when compared to study by Hull and colleagues.
This finding suggests that the patients in this study had less co-morbidity
than did the patients in the study by Hull, et al. The relatively low
prevalence of cancer in the Simonneau study probably explains most of
this difference.
These two clinical trials show that tinzaparin
is at least as effective as UH for acute treatment of VTE. The convenience
of subcutaneous dosing without subsequent monitoring or dose adjustment
means that many patients can be treated completely at home or with markedly
shortened hospital stays.
