Anticoagulant Therapy in Peripheral Vascular Disease

Abstract

The anticoagulant drugs, heparin and dicumarol, have been of great value in the prevrention and treatment of peripheral thromboembolic disease. The use of both drugs requires individualization of dosage based on the results of the appropriate tests of their effect on coagulation. The risk of bleeding is very small if heparin and dicumarol are properly used. New anticoagulant drugs are being studied and evaluated clinically in an effort to increase even further the effectiveness and safety of anticoagulant therapy.