Intermediate Versus Standard Dose Enoxaparin to Prevent Venous Thromboembolism in Severe Trauma Patients: a Multicenter Double Blind Randomised Controlled Trial

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Enoxaparin standard dose: In the control group, patients will receive 1 injection of enoxaparin 4000 IU and 1 injection of placebo until day 14 or hospital discharge in the same form as enoxaparin (subcutaneous injection). A placebo injection is administered as needed to maintain blinding and ensure the same number of injections as in the intermediate-dose arm.

Enoxaparin intermediate dose: In the experimental group, patients will receive 2 injections of enoxaparin 4000 IU until day 14 or hospital discharge.

Study summary

Venous thromboembolism is a frequent issue in severe trauma patients. Guidelines for venous thromboembolism prevention include the use of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, mainly with low-molecular-weight heparin, and/or mechanical thromboprophylaxis. However, a high incidence of venous thromboembolism is observed despite standard dose thromboprophylaxis (such as enoxaparin 40 mg once daily).

An increase of the dose of anticoagulants could improve thromboprophylaxis in trauma patients. To date, two randomised trials have assessed the effect of weight-based low-molecular-weight heparin dosing vs. fixed dose in trauma patients. These pilot studies did not demonstrate a statistical difference between groups although there was a trend in favour of a lower incidence of deep vein thromboses with the increased dose low-molecular-weight heparin prophylaxis. However, both studies included non-severe trauma patients and the second study focused only on deep vein thromboses. Other studies suggested that a superior-than-standard dose of low-molecular-weight heparin, sometimes

guided by the anti-Xa activity, decreases the incidence of venous thromboembolism in severe trauma without increasing bleeding events, but they were observational in nature.

The hypothesis of the HEPTRAUMA trial is that, in severe trauma patients, a thromboprophylaxis with intermediate dose low-molecular-weight heparin (twice the standard dose) decreases the incidence of major venous thromboembolism compared to standard dose.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Composite of symptomatic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), proximal DVT, pulmonary embolism (PE). — Within 14 days following randomisation after severe trauma
  Effect of intermediate-dose versus standard-dose enoxaparin on the 14-day risk of major venous thromboembolism (symptomatic proximal DVT or PE) in adult patients with severe trauma eligible for pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis. Analyses will be conducted in the ITT population using a competing-risk approach (death before VTE considered as a competing event).

Trial sites (17)

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