Blood thinners may be unnecessary for minor lung clots, new trial suggests
NCT ID NCT04263038
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two approaches for low-risk patients with small blood clots in the lungs (isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism). Half will receive standard blood-thinning medication (rivaroxaban), while the other half will get a placebo and be closely monitored. The goal is to see if simply watching and waiting is as safe as taking blood thinners, which can cause serious bleeding. The trial involves 276 adults and will track recurrent clots, bleeding events, and deaths.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Rivaroxaban (blood thinner) or placebo (inactive pill)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that many patients with tiny lung clots can safely skip blood thinners, avoiding unnecessary bleeding risks.
What could go wrong
This is a relatively small Phase 4 trial (276 people), and the results may not apply to higher-risk patients. There is a chance that skipping blood thinners could lead to more clots.
Disclaimer
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Study contacts
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Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
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Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Albert Schweitzer Ziekenhuis Dordrecht
RECRUITINGDordrecht, Netherlands
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CHU De Rouen
RECRUITINGRouen, France
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CHU Gabriel-Montpied
RECRUITINGClermont-Ferrand, France
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CHU ST Etienne - Hôpital Nord
RECRUITINGSaint-Priest-en-Jarez, France
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Cantonal Hospital of Aarau
RECRUITINGAarau, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Baden
RECRUITINGBaden, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Frauenfeld
RECRUITINGFrauenfeld, Thurgau, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Fribourg
WITHDRAWNFribourg, Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Liestal
RECRUITINGLiestal, Basel, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne
WITHDRAWNLucerne, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Olten
WITHDRAWNOlten, Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen
RECRUITINGSankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Uri
WITHDRAWNAltdorf, Switzerland
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Cantonal Hospital of Winterthur
RECRUITINGWinterthur, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
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Centre Hospitalier Regional Et Universitaire De Brest
RECRUITINGBrest, France
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Centre Hospitalier Universitaire De Dijon
RECRUITINGDijon, France
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Centre hospitalier universitaire de Liege
RECRUITINGLiège, Belgium
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Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
RECRUITINGWoluwe-Saint-Lambert, Brussels Capital, 1200, Belgium
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Erasmus Universitair Medisch Centrum
WITHDRAWNRotterdam, Netherlands
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Geneva University Hospital
RECRUITINGGeneva, Switzerland
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Haaglanden Medisch Centrum
WITHDRAWNThe Hague, Netherlands
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Hospital Edouard Herriot
RECRUITINGLyon, France
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Hospital of Bienne
RECRUITINGBiel/Bienne, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
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Hospital of Delémont
TERMINATEDDelémont, Switzerland
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Hospital of Neuchâtel
RECRUITINGNeuchâtel, Switzerland
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Hospital of Nyon
WITHDRAWNNyon, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
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Hospital of Sion
WITHDRAWNSion, Valais, Switzerland
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Hôpital Bicêtre - APHP
RECRUITINGLe Kremlin-Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, 94270, France
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Hôpitaux universitaires de Marseille Timone AP-HM
RECRUITINGMarseille, France
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Isala Klinieken Zwolle
RECRUITINGZwolle, Netherlands
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Leiden University Medical Center
RECRUITINGLeiden, Netherlands
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Medisch Spectrum Twente
RECRUITINGEnschede, Netherlands
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Regional Hospital of Emmental
RECRUITINGBurgdorf, Switzerland
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The Ottawa Hospital
RECRUITINGOttawa, Canada
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Tiefenau Hospital
COMPLETEDBern, Switzerland
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Triemli Hospital
RECRUITINGZurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
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University Hospital Inselspital
RECRUITINGBern, Canton of Bern, 3010, Switzerland
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University Hospital Zürich
WITHDRAWNZurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
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University Hospital of Basel
RECRUITINGBasel, Switzerland
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University Hospital of Lausanne
RECRUITINGLausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
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