Clinical inquiries: what's the best way to manage upper extremity venous thrombosis?

Standard management is best: start with unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin and follow with long-term therapy with a vitamin K antagonist. Some evidence supports thrombolytic therapy, placement of a superior vena cava filter, or surgical thrombectomy in selected patients. Whether to remove venous catheters during initial treatment for catheter-induced venous thrombosis remains unclear, because limited studies address this issue specifically.