Using Intravenous Heparin Versus Standard of Care Subcutaneous Heparin to Prevent Clots After Surgery
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
This study plans to learn more about what is the best treatment to prevent blood clots in
patients in intensive care units (ICU's). The investigators know that patients who are in
ICU's have a higher than normal risk of getting blood clots in the veins of their arms or
legs. This can be very dangerous as the clot may move into the lungs. To prevent this, the
standard treatment is to give low dose heparin subcutaneously 3 times a day (usually 5000
units at each dose). In this study the investigators are randomizing patients to receive
either standard of care or low dose intravenous heparin in a continuous infusion.