Extended use of blood thinner medications may prevent blood clots in bedridden patients, according to findings published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers enrolled patients aged 40 years and older who suffered minimal mobility three days prior to the study and would be on bed rest at least three days after the trial began. Participants were given blood thinners for six to 14 days, followed by 28 days of continuing the medication or taking a placebo.

Patients were then examined right after the study ended, and then again six months later for blood clots and deep vein thrombosis, which is the forming of blood clots in leg veins.

The researchers discovered that only 2.5 percent of individuals who had taken the medication during the trial period had developed blood clots, while 4 percent of the placebo patients were diagnosed with clotting complications.

Roger D. Yusen, associate professor of medicine at Washington University, stated that “we currently treat acutely ill medical patients with a week or two of blood thinners to prevent clots.” He added that “these results suggest that, depending on the patient, physicians may want to consider extending that treatment for an additional month.”

In addition to extending the use of blood thinners, researchers at the Christiana Care Health System in Delaware found that administering a clot-dissolving drug followed by a clot-removing procedure can also prevent deep vein thrombosis.