Lovenox, the brand name of enoxaparin sodium, is in a category of drugs called anticoagulants. The U.S. National Library of Medicine describes anticoagulants as medications that prevent blood clots from forming. Lovenox is specifically prescribed to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. Lovenox is often prescribed after surgery to prevent the formation of a DVT, also known as a blood clots, which develop during prolonged periods of immobility.
Abdominal Surgery Patients
Patients undergoing abdominal surgery who are at risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis will be given 40 mg of Lovenox via subcutaneous injection once a day for up to 12 days. Prophylactic therapy is aimed at preventing the formation of blood clots after surgery.
Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery
Patients recovering from knee or hip surgery are more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis due to extended periods of immobility during recovery. Doctors prescribe 30 mg of Lovenox via subcutaneous injection to be administered every 12 hours for as long as two weeks.
Hospitalized Patients
Patients in the hospital for medical reasons such as acute heart disease or pulmonary disease are often confined to bed rest which places them at risk for developing a blood clot. Lovenox therapy for these patients is typically 40 mg via subcutaneous injection each day for up to two weeks.
Inpatient Care for Deep Vein Thrombosis
If a patient has been diagnosed with a DVT Lovenox therapy is more aggressive. 1 mg will be administered for every kilogram the patient weighs, and the dose will be given every 12 hours. For example a patient who weighs 80 kg, or 176 pounds, will be given a dose of 80 mg of Lovenox via subcutaneous injection every 12 hours.
Outpatient Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment
In a patient diagnosed with a stable DVT, which has not moved to the lungs, outpatient therapy may be prescribed. The at home therapy regimen consists of 1 mg of Lovenox given via subcutaneous injection every 12 hours in combination with warfarin, an oral anticoagulant.
Cardiac Patients
Physicians may treat some cardiac patients with Lovenox. Heart attack patients or patients with unstable angina may be candidates for Lovenox therapy. If a physician determines Lovenox is appropriate, these patients will receive 1 mg per kilogram of body weight via subcutaneous injection in combination with aspirin therapy for a period of two to eight days.
