Chest
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Dosing frequency of unfractionated heparin thromboprophylaxis: a meta-analysis.
In medical patients, it is unclear whether thromboprophylaxis with low-dose unfractionated heparin (UFH) should be administered bid or tid. ⋯ Moderate-quality evidence suggests that subcutaneous UFH bid and UFH tid do not differ in effect on DVT, PE, major bleeding, and mortality. Either of the two dosing regimens of UFH or LMWH appears to be a reasonable strategy for thromboprophylaxis in medical patients. A future randomized trial comparing the two doses of UFH is very unlikely, considering the very large sample size that would be required to demonstrate a significant difference, which, if it exists, is undoubtedly small.