Long-Term Anticoagulant Therapy

Abstract

Long term anticoagulant therapy is now a practical therapeutic procedure, observations having been made on approx. 300 patients since 1946. Dicumarol is the usual anticoagulant employed. Indications for treatment are as follows: multiple embolization in rheumatic heart disease and auricular fibrillation, recurrent thrombophlebitis, multiple arterial thromboembolic episodes, recurrent myocardial infarction, idiopathic or familial thrombosing conditions, idiopathic and recurrent pulmonary embolism, and less well-defined indications, viz., severe angina pectoris and cerebral vascular disease on the basis of thrombosis or embolism. Apart from the usual contraindications for long term therapy are marked hypertension and irresponsible or mentally incompetent patients. The control of 3 cases by anticoagulants on a long term basis is discussed and the subsequent freedom from thromboembolic episodes is commented upon.