Review Article

New Prospective for the Management of Low-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: Prognostic Assessment, Early Discharge, and Single-Drug Therapy with New Oral Anticoagulants

Table 3

Published phase III trials on acute treatment of pulmonary embolism.

StudyPatientsInterventionComparisonPrimary outcome (recurrent VTE)

RECOVERAcute symptomatic VTE, DVT, and/or PE, who were initially given parenteral anticoagulation therapyDabigatran etexilate (150 mg twice daily)Dose-adjusted warfarin (INR 2.0 to 3.0)Dabigatran: 30 (2.4%)
Warfarin 27 (2.1%)
RECOVER IIAcute symptomatic VTE, DVT, and/or PE, who were initially given parenteral anticoagulation therapyDabigatran etexilate (150 mg twice daily)Dose-adjusted warfarin (INR 2.0 to 3.0)Dabigatran: 30 (2.4%)
Warfarin 28 (2.2%)
EINSTEIN-PEAcute symptomatic PERivaroxaban (15 mg bid for the first 3 weeks followed by 20 mg od)LMWH and dose-adjusted VKA (INR 2.0 to 3.0)Rivaroxaban: 50 (2.1%)
LMWH/VKA: 44 (1.8%)
CASSIOPEASymptomatic PE with or without symptomatic DVT, who were initially given parenteral anticoagulation therapyIdrabiotaparinux 3.0 mg s.c. once weeklyDose-adjusted warfarin (INR 2.0 to 3.0)Idrabiotaparinux: 34 (2.1%)
Warfarin: 43 (2.7%)

VTE: venous thromboembolism; DVT: deep venous thrombosis; PE: pulmonary embolism; LMWH: low-molecular-weight heparin; VKA: vitamin K antagonist.