Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. yusenr@msnotes.wustl.edu
Once- or twice-daily subcutaneous dosing of LMWHs without laboratory monitoring has facilitated outpatient VTE therapy. Clinical trials have demonstrated at least equivalent efficacy and safety and potential cost savings of outpatient therapy for uncomplicated proximal DVT with LMWH when compared with inpatient therapy. Explicit criteria exist for outpatient DVT therapy. Home therapy for PE requires further evaluation before it can be recommended outside of a trial or other supervised setting.