title: Characterization of 'winners' to enoxaparin in the prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolism in digestive surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A total of 826 patients were included in three 'play-the-winner' studies to investigate the safety of prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism in digestive surgery. To characterize patients benefiting from prophylaxis with low-molecular heparin, the 445 patients allocated to enoxaparin were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A training set consisting of 292 patients from 2 of the studies was analysed by using a linear discriminant model. The reliability of the results was verified on a test set consisting of 153 patients from the third study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A typical 'winner' was a young patient, preferably female, with serum bilirubin in the lower normal range, combined with body temperature, serum sodium, creatinine, and albumin in the upper normal ranges. By using the discriminant function on the test set, 81.7% of the 'winners' and 21.1% of the "losers' were correctly classified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The discriminant function for characterization of winners to enoxaparin was found adequate. No rule was acceptable for characterization of losers.
authors.affiliation: Akershus Central Hospital, Nordbyhagen, Norway.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reiertsen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mowinckel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bjerkeseth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Løvig
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thorsen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gerner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Løtveit
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003911:Dextrans / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D017984:Enoxaparin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012107:Research Design; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D003911:Dextrans; D017984:Enoxaparin; D006493:Heparin