Anticoagulants for venous thrombosis.

The anticoagulant agents heparin and warfarin were introduced before the era of randomised clinical trials. As a result, the indications, dosages and monitoring techniques of these drugs have undergone re-evaluation in multiple clinical trials in the past years. Low molecular weight heparin has been developed, which has led to new approaches in anticoagulant management. Current levels of laboratory, pharmacology and clinical knowledge in the treatment of venous thromboembolism are discussed.