Baseline characteristics
| First author [Ref.] | Population | Outpatient treatment | Therapy | |||||
| Subjects n | Mean age yrs | M n (%) | F n (%) | Exclusion criteria | Definition | |||
| Kovacs 27 | 108 | 56.9 | NA | NA | Haemodynamic instability, O2 requirement (Sa,O2 <90%) | 81 Pts “entirely as outpatients”: Pts phoned every other day; research nurse as coordinator of care27 Pts “early discharge” (mean hospitalisation: 11 Pts 2.1 days; 16 Pts 2.8 days) | Outpatients: dalteparin and warfarinEarly discharge: UFH then dalteparin and warfarin | |
| Beer 19 | 43 | NA | NA | NA | High- or medium-risk Wicki score 39 | “Entirely as outpatients” | Nadroparin–phenprocoumon | |
| Buller 20 | 158 | NA | NA | NA | NA | Early discharge: Pts with ≥1 days of initial treatment on an in-patient basis: 1 day (37 Pts), 2 days (29 Pts), >2 days (92 Pts) | Fondaparinux–vitamin K antagonist | |
| Lim 29 | 70 | 54.6 | 32 (46) | 38 (54) | NA | Early discharge: mean hospital stay 4 days (range 0–17 days); 2 Pts entirely outpatientsAt home: supervisor nurse; 24-h phone number | Tinzaparin–warfarin | |
| Siragusa 35 | 36 (all cancer Pts) | NA | NA | NA | NA | Self administration of LMWH | LMWH–warfarin or LMWH alone | |
| Wells 37 | 90 | NA | NA | NA | Hypotension, hypoxia on room air | First week: Pts underwent review at 24–48-h intervals by phone or in person by the study coordinator; emergency call number | Tinzaparin/nadroparin–warfarin | |
| Ong 32 | 130 | 66.4 | 51 (39) | 79 (61) | Haemodynamic instability, hypoxia (Sa,O2 <90%) | 60 Pts: completely outpatients (reviewed daily by a nurse, once or twice a week by a physician in the unit)70 Pts: early discharge (mean 5.7 days before ambulatory care programme) | LMWH–warfarin | |
| Ageno 9# | 23 (all cancer Pts) | 58.8 | 13 (57) | 10 (43) | Haemodynamic instability, hypoxia (Sa,O2 <90%) | Education session, also for LMWH self-injection; Pts returned to hospital for oral anticoagulant treatment | LMWH–warfarin | |
| Olsson 31 | 102 | 63 | 43 (44) | 57 (56) | Extensive PE on quantitative ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy | Treatment in a Pt hotel close to hospital; first 5 days: daily visit to an outpatient office | Tinzaparin–warfarin | |
| Davies 22 | 157 | 58 (median) | 86 (55) | 71 (45) | O2 therapy for hypoxaemia, previous PE or during anticoagulation, high-segment femoral and above DVT | Discharged within 72 h of presentation (91 Pts in first 24 h); LMWH and INR monitoring daily in hospital or local ambulatory DVT service; a 24-h emergency phone number | Tinzaparin–warfarin | |
| Lui 30 | 21 | 56 | 9 (43) | 12 (57) | Pts included if: submassive PE on imaging, haemodynamically stable, adequate oxygenation on room air, no evidence of heart failure | Hospital in the Home (medical and nursing staff for home visit and care); no self-injection of LMWH | Enoxaparin/nadroparin–warfarin | |
M: male; F: female; NA: not available; Sa,O2: arterial oxygen saturation; Pts: patients; UFH: unfractionated heparin; LMWH: low-molecular-weight heparin; PE: pulmonary embolism; DVT: deep venous thrombosis; INR: international normalised ratio. #: also includes unpublished data obtained from the authors.