Study to Evaluate Weight-based Enoxaparin Dosing in Obese Medical Patients at Risk for DVT
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2008-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Deep vein thrombosis(DVT) is a common complication in hospitalized medical patients.
Consensus guidelines recommend using medications such as heparin or low-molecular-weight
heparins (LMWH) to prevent DVT in these patients. Generally, these medications are given in a
fixed dose that is the same for everyone. The appropriate dose of medication in patients with
severe obesity is uncertain. There is some evidence that the use of standard fixed-doses in
severely obese patients may not provide adequate protection against DVT. The purpose of this
study is to evaluate a weight-based dose(0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) of the
commonly prescribed LMWH, enoxaparin in severely obese patients to determine if predictable
levels of blood thinning can be achieved. We hypothesize that dosing enoxaparin 0.5mg/kg once
daily in severely obese patients will lead to predictable blood levels.