ABSTRACT
Anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin (UFH) followed by oral vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) has been the mainstay of therapy for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT). For 50 years, the recognition and refinement of the mechanisms of action of heparin led to the discovery of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) compounds and subsequently the pentasaccharide fondaparinux. A new generation of anticoagulants, oral direct factor Xa inhibitors, are becoming available and are discussed separately in Chapter 6.
