Anticoagulation Therapy in Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (08) ◽  
pp. 877-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlad Radulescu

AbstractVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is very uncommon in children and adolescents compared with older adults, though its incidence has significantly increased over the past two decades. Given the rarity of the condition, the data on pediatric VTE lag behind the adult experience and consequently the management of VTE in children is, in large part, modeled on the adult strategies. This approach has certain limitations, given that young children have developmental particularities of the hemostatic system and differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of various anticoagulant agents. The most commonly used anticoagulants in children continue to be the heparins and the vitamin K antagonists. Direct intravenous thrombin inhibitors, argatroban, bivalirudin, have very limited pediatric use. The non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant drugs (novel oral anticoagulants) present potential advantages in terms of efficacy, safety, and convenience, though pediatric data are limited to preclinical and small phase I trials. There are several ongoing phase I, II, and III trials for dabigatran rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, the results of which are likely to change the future management of pediatric thromboses.

Author(s):  
Priyanka P K ◽  
Mathew George ◽  
Lincy Joseph

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized as an extremely rapid and disorganized atrial activation. These irregular heartbeats will cause blood to collect within the heart and potentially form a clot, which can travel to a person’s brain and cause a stroke. AF increases stroke risk by 3 to 5 fold. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are highly effective for the prevention of stroke, mainly of ischemic origin, in patients with AF. For this reason, VKAs are currently recommended in all AF patients at moderate to high risk for stroke or systemic embolism (SSE). VKAs have significant limitations, particularly their unpredictable anticoagulant response and numerous food and drug interactions, mandating regular laboratory monitoring. These limitations make treatment with VKAs problematic for many patients; as a result, only about half of all potentially eligible AF patients are treated with VKAs. Over the last several years, novel oral anticoagulant drugs (NOACs), including direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran) and factor Xa inhibitors (apixaban & rivaroxaban), have been developed. New orally administered anticoagulant drugs have emerged as potential alternatives to VKAs for the prevention of ischaemic stroke or systemic embolism in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), due to their a lot of predictable therapeutic result and more favorable haemorrhagic risk profile, represent a particularly attractive therapeutic option in AF patients. Keywords:  Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), Vitamin K antagonist (VKAs), Atrial fibrillation, Apixaban, Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3212
Author(s):  
Fabiana Lucà ◽  
Simona Giubilato ◽  
Stefania Angela Di Fusco ◽  
Laura Piccioni ◽  
Carmelo Massimiliano Rao ◽  
...  

The therapeutic dilemma between rhythm and rate control in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) is still unresolved and electrical or pharmacological cardioversion (CV) frequently represents a useful strategy. The most recent guidelines recommend anticoagulation according to individual thromboembolic risk. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been routinely used to prevent thromboembolic events. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) represent a significant advance due to their more predictable therapeutic effect and more favorable hemorrhagic risk profile. In hemodynamically unstable patients, an emergency electrical cardioversion (ECV) must be performed. In this situation, intravenous heparin or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) should be administered before CV. In patients with AF occurring within less than 48 h, synchronized direct ECV should be the elective procedure, as it restores sinus rhythm quicker and more successfully than pharmacological cardioversion (PCV) and is associated with shorter length of hospitalization. Patients with acute onset AF were traditionally considered at lower risk of thromboembolic events due to the shorter time for atrial thrombus formation. In patients with hemodynamic stability and AF for more than 48 h, an ECV should be planned after at least 3 weeks of anticoagulation therapy. Alternatively, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to rule out left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) should be performed, followed by ECV and anticoagulation for at least 4 weeks. Theoretically, the standardized use of TEE before CV allows a better stratification of thromboembolic risk, although data available to date are not univocal.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 623-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudia Marques-Matos ◽  
José Nuno Alves ◽  
João Pedro Marto ◽  
Joana Afonso Ribeiro ◽  
Ana Monteiro ◽  
...  

Background There is a lower reported incidence of intracranial hemorrhage with non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants compared with vitamin K antagonist. However, the functional outcome and mortality of intracranial hemorrhage patients were not assessed. Aims To compare the outcome of vitamin K antagonists- and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants-related intracranial hemorrhage. Methods We included consecutive patients with acute non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage on oral anticoagulation therapy admitted between January 2013 and June 2015 at four university hospitals. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from individual medical records. Intracranial hemorrhage was classified as intracerebral, extra-axial, or multifocal using brain computed tomography. Three-month functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale. Results Among 246 patients included, 24 (9.8%) were anticoagulated with a non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants and 222 (90.2%) with a vitamin K antagonists. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants patients were older (81.5 vs. 76 years, p = 0.048) and had intracerebral hemorrhage more often (83.3% vs. 63.1%, p = 0.048). We detected a non-significant trend for larger intracerebral hemorrhage volumes in vitamin K antagonists patients ( p = 0.368). Survival analysis adjusted for age, CHA2DS2VASc, HAS-BLED, and anticoagulation reversal revealed that non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants did not influence three-month mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.39–1.80, p = 0.638). Multivariable ordinal regression for three-month functional outcome did not show a significant shift of modified Rankin Scale scores in non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants patients (odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95%CI 0.55–2.87, p = 0.585). Conclusions We detected no significant differences in the three-month outcome between non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants- and vitamin K antagonists-associated intracranial hemorrhage, despite unavailability of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants-specific reversal agents.


2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-311
Author(s):  
Ki Hong Lee ◽  
Jin-Bae Kim ◽  
Seung Yong Shin ◽  
Boyoung Joung

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a strong risk factor for ischemic stroke and systemic embolism. To prevent thromboembolic events in patients with AF, anticoagulation therapy is essential. The anticoagulant strategy is determined after stroke and bleeding risk assessments using the CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores, respectively; both consider clinical risk factors. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) are the sole anticoagulant option in AF patients with a prosthetic mechanical valve or moderate-severe mitral stenosis; in all other AF patients VKA or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are therapeutic options. However, antiplatelet therapy should not be used for stroke prevention in AF patients. Anticoagulation is not needed in AF patients with low stroke risk but strongly recommended in those with a with low bleeding risk. Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion offers an alternative in AF patients in whom long-term anticoagulation is contraindicated. Surgical occlusion or the exclusion of LAA can be considered for stroke prevention in AF patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In this article, we review existing data for stroke prevention and suggest optimal strategies to prevent stroke in AF patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
pp. 2692-2702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panteleimon E. Papakonstantinou ◽  
Costas Tsioufis ◽  
Dimitris Konstantinidis ◽  
Panagiotis Iliakis ◽  
Ioannis Leontsinis ◽  
...  

: Anticoagulation therapy is the cornerstone of treatment in acute vein thrombosis (DVT) and it aims to reduce symptoms, thrombus extension, DVT recurrences, and mortality. The treatment for DVT depends on its anatomical extent, among other factors. Anticoagulation therapy for proximal DVT is clearly recommended (at least for 3 months), while AT for isolated distal DVT should be considered, especially in the presence of high thromboembolic risk factors. The optimal anticoagulant and duration of therapy are determined by the clinical assessment, taking into account the thromboembolic and bleeding risk in each patient in a case-by-case decision making. Non-Vitamin K antagonists oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were a revolution in the anticoagulation management of DVT. Nowadays, NOACs are considered as first-line therapy in the anticoagulation therapy for DVT and are recommended as the preferred anticoagulant agents by most scientific societies. NOACs offer a simple route of administration (oral agents), a rapid onset-offset of their action along with a good efficacy and safety profile in comparison with Vitamin K Antagonists (VKAs). However, there are issues about their efficacy and safety profile in specific populations with high thromboembolic and bleeding risks, such as renal failure patients, active-cancer patients, and pregnant women, in which VKAs and heparins were the standard care of treatment. Since the available data are promising for the use of NOACs in end-stage chronic kidney disease and cancer patients, several ongoing randomized trials are currently trying to solve that issues and give evidence about the safety and efficacy of NOACs in these populations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (02) ◽  
pp. 205-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Bottino ◽  
Anna Rago ◽  
Pierpaolo Micco ◽  
Antonio D' Onofrio ◽  
Biagio Liccardo ◽  
...  

AbstractAtrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly diagnosed in the setting of active cancer. Because of an increased risk of either thromboembolic events or bleeding, the decision to initiate therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with active cancer can be challenging. Moreover, little is still known about the optimal anticoagulation therapy in the setting of AF and cancer, and no guidelines are as yet available. Considering that nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are recommended as alternatives to vitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention in AF patients with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2, the authors performed a systematic review of the current literature to describe the efficacy and safety of NOACs in AF patients with malignancy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Devabhakthuni ◽  
Connie H. Yoon ◽  
Kathleen J. Pincus

Anticoagulation therapy is often indicated for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Despite advances in anticoagulant management with parenteral anticoagulants and vitamin K antagonists, limitations to their use still exists, leading to investigation of alternative anticoagulants such as factor Xa inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors. To date, 3 target-specific oral anticoagulants (TSOACs) are Food and Drug Administration approved; several other agents are currently in development to optimize VTE management and minimize bleeding risks. The objective of this systematic review article is to provide clinicians an overview of the clinical evidence on the investigational TSOACs for the treatment and prevention of VTE. Of the agents in development, edoxaban holds the most promise due to robust data supporting its clinical benefit with a similar bleeding risk to currently approved agents. Clinicians should understand the TSOACs under investigation, since differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics may influence clinical decision making and agent selection for management of VTE. Currently, no direct comparisons between TSOACs have been conducted. Agents under investigation have yet to overcome the major limitations of the currently existing TSOACs. Further studies are necessary to clarify which TSOAC agent is best for management of VTE in clinical practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Vetta ◽  
Gabriella Locorotondo ◽  
Giampaolo Vetta

Prevalence of non-valvular atrial fibrillation is increasing over time. Particularly in elderly population, treatment strategies to reduce the rate of stroke are challenging and still represent an unsolved cultural question. Indeed, the risk of thromboembolism increases in the elderly in parallel with the risk of bleeding. The frequent coexistence of several morbidities, frailty syndrome, polypharmacy, chronic kidney disease and dementia strengthens the perception that risk-benefit ratio of anticoagulant therapy could be unfavorable, and explains why such treatment is underused in the elderly. Recently, the introduction of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) has allowed us to overcome the large number of limitations imposed by the use of vitamin K antagonists. In this manuscript, the benefits of individual NOACs in comparison with warfarin in elderly patients are reviewed. Targeted studies on complex elderly patients are needed to test usefulness of a geriatric comprehensive assessment, besides the scores addressing risk of thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events. In the meantime, it is mandatory that use of anticoagulant therapy in most elderly people, currently excluded from randomized controlled trials, is prudent and responsible.


Author(s):  
A. CAPIAU ◽  
M. GRYMONPREZ ◽  
T. DE BACKER ◽  
S. GEVAERT ◽  
K. BOUSSERY ◽  
...  

Atrial fibrillation and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: from clinical trials to real-world clinical practice. For decades, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) were the only oral anticoagulants available for the prevention of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Since 2012, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are available for this indication, which have proven to be at least as effective and safe as VKAs in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). NOACs have additional benefits, such as a fast onset of action, a fixed-dose regimen without requiring regular monitoring, less interactions and less intracranial bleeding. Their emergence has caused a paradigm shift in anticoagulation therapy, with NOACs being the anticoagulant of choice compared to VKAs. Since strict in- and exclusion criteria were used in the pivotal RCTs, concerns have risen regarding the generalizability of these results to real-life clinical practice in patients with multiple comorbidities. In this manuscript, this extrapolation is discussed, focusing on 4 different topics regarding appropriate NOAC use: the management of AF patients with a single stroke risk factor, the importance of an optimal therapy adherence, potential drug-drug interactions with NOACs and addressing a geriatric AF patient after a fall. Hopefully, this manuscript will help guide clinicians in the optimal use of NOACs in their daily clinical practice.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 264
Author(s):  
Osamu Kumano ◽  
Kohei Akatsuchi ◽  
Jean Amiral

Anticoagulant drugs have been used to prevent and treat thrombosis. However, they are associated with risk of hemorrhage. Therefore, prior to their clinical use, it is important to assess the risk of bleeding and thrombosis. In case of older anticoagulant drugs like heparin and warfarin, dose adjustment is required owing to narrow therapeutic ranges. The established monitoring methods for heparin and warfarin are activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)/anti-Xa assay and prothrombin time – international normalized ratio (PT-INR), respectively. Since 2008, new generation anticoagulant drugs, called direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), have been widely prescribed to prevent and treat several thromboembolic diseases. Although the use of DOACs without routine monitoring and frequent dose adjustment has been shown to be safe and effective, there may be clinical circumstances in specific patients when measurement of the anticoagulant effects of DOACs is required. Recently, anticoagulation therapy has received attention when treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of anticoagulant drugs—heparin, warfarin, and DOACs and describe the methods used for the measurement of their effects. In addition, we discuss the latest findings on thrombosis mechanism in patients with COVID-19 with respect to biological chemistry.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document