scholarly journals Clinical features, management and outcomes of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients treated with oral anticoagulants

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Marti Sanchez ◽  
B Biscotti Rodil ◽  
F Delgado Calva ◽  
J Duarte Torres ◽  
A Marschall ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding with the different antithrombotics may present peculiarities in terms of location, precipitating factors, clinical management and prognosis. Purpose Our objective was to compare the profile and clinical course of GI bleeding with direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA). Methods We carried out a retrospective study of all consecutive patients treated in a tertiary hospital during 2018 and 2019, and who met the following selection criteria: 1) diagnosis of confirmed or probable GI bleeding; 2) red blood cell transfusion; 3) treatment with an oral anticoagulant; 4) absence of concomitant antiplatelet therapy. We collected information on comorbidities, bleeding risk scores, baseline treatments, and clinical course of bleeding. We compared adjusted all-cause mortality at 12-months between DOACs and VKAs groups. Results We identified 115 patients with GI bleeding, mean age 83±9 years, 63% women, 50.4% on DOACs and 49.6% on VKAs. NOACs group showed more recent anticoagulation history, and more complex clinical profile, with older age (85 vs. 82 years, p=0.026), number of comorbidities (2.7 vs. 2.1, p=0.049), CHA2DS2VASc score (5.2 vs. 4.2, p=0.001) and ORBIT score (3.9 vs. 3.3, p=0.047). There were no differences in the location of bleeding (60.5% lower GI tract), number of units transfused (mean 2.6), or hemoglobin nadir (mean 7.6 g/dL). Notably, 42% of the patients on DOACs were receiving the high dose at the time of bleeding, 63% of them had some risk criterion for overdose (age>80 years, weight <60 kg, moderate P-glycoprotein inhibitors), and 37% had >1 of these criteria. 12-month cumulative mortality was high, but significantly lower in the DOACs group (15.5% vs. 35.7%, adjusted HR 0.31, p=0.002). Conclusions Patients who experience GI bleeding with anticoagulants represent a therapeutic challenge, with both high age and prevalence of comorbidities. One-year mortality is remarkably high, particularly in the VKA group. Our findings emphasize the need for close monitoring and optimization of preventive strategies in this complex clinical scenario. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel TT Chong ◽  
Felicita Andreotti ◽  
Peter Verhamme ◽  
Jamshed J Dalal ◽  
Noppacharn Uaprasert ◽  
...  

The disease burden of AF is greater in Asia-Pacific than other areas of the world. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged as effective alternatives to vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for preventing thromboembolic events in patients with AF. The Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology developed this consensus statement to guide physicians in the management of AF in Asian populations. Statements were developed by an expert consensus panel who reviewed the available data from patients in Asia-Pacific. Consensus statements were developed then put to an online vote. The resulting 17 statements provide guidance on the assessment of stroke risk of AF patients in the region, the appropriate use of DOACs in these patients, as well as the concomitant use of DOACs and antiplatelets, and the transition to DOACs from VKAs and vice versa. The periprocedural management of patients on DOAC therapy and the management of patients with bleeding while on DOACs are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pardo Sanz ◽  
L M Rincon ◽  
G De Lara ◽  
A Tamayo ◽  
L C Belarte ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Balance between embolic and bleeding risk is challenging in patients with cancer. There is a lack of specific recommendations for the use of antithrombotic therapy in oncologic patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) within patients with breast cancer. We also compared the embolic and bleeding risk, the preventive management and the incidence of events between patients with and without cancer. Methods It is an ambispective observational multicentric study that analysed patients with non-valvular AF treated in Oncology and Cardiology Departments in Spain in the period 2011–2018. A total of 1237 female patients with AF were enrolled: 637 with breast cancer and 599 without cancer. The incidence of thromboembolic and major bleeding events according to the antithrombotic strategy with VKAs or DOACs was evaluated in the cohort of 637 patients with cancer. Analysis were conducted using SPSS software V.22.0 and R V.3.5.1, with a two-tailed significance value of 0.05. Results Mean follow-up was 3.1 years. Both groups were similar in age, CHA2DS2-VASc and HASB-LED scores. There was no evidence that the incidence of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism differed between patients with cancer treated with AVK and DOAC after CHA2DS2-VASc adjustment: HR 0.91 (95% CI, 0.42–1.99). In addition, no significant differences in the incidence of major bleeding events were found between DOACs and VKA after adjustment for HAS-BLED score: HR 1.53 (95% CI, 0.93–2.53) (Figure 3). Gastrointestinal bleeding was the main source of haemorrhages in both groups (45% of bleedings among patients treated with DOACs and, 37% in VKAs group). Metastatic disease or active chemotherapy were studied as potential covariates but none of them posed any relevant change in the result. Kaplan-Meier analysis Conclusions Cancer patients treated with DOACs did not differ versus those treated with VKAs with regards to stroke or systemic embolism in a model adjusted for CHA2DS2-VASc. Neither significant differences were found for bleeding events in a model adjusted for baseline HASBLED.


Heart ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. heartjnl-2020-317923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Hanon ◽  
Jean-Sébastien Vidal ◽  
George Pisica-Donose ◽  
Galdric Orvoën ◽  
Jean-Philippe David ◽  
...  

ObjectiveDirect oral anticoagulants have been evaluated in the general population, but proper evidence for their safe use in the geriatric population is still missing. We compared the bleeding risk of a direct oral anticoagulant (rivaroxaban) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) among French geriatric patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) aged ≥80 years.MethodsWe performed a sequential observational prospective cohort study, using data from 33 geriatric centres. The sample comprised 908 patients newly initiated on VKAs between September 2011 and September 2014 and 995 patients newly initiated on rivaroxaban between September 2014 and September 2017. Patients were followed up for up to 12 months. One-year risks of major, intracerebral, gastrointestinal bleedings, ischaemic stroke and all-cause mortality were compared between rivaroxaban-treated and VKA-treated patients with propensity score matching and Cox models.ResultsMajor bleeding risk was significantly lower in rivaroxaban-treated patients (7.4/100 patient-years) compared with VKA-treated patients (14.6/100 patient-years) after multivariate adjustment (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.99) and in the propensity score–matched sample (HR 0.53; 95% CI 0.33 to 0.85). Intracerebral bleeding occurred less frequently in rivaroxaban-treated patients (1.3/100 patient-years) than in VKA-treated patients (4.0/100 patient-years), adjusted HR 0.59 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.44) and in the propensity score–matched sample HR 0.26 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.80). Major lower bleeding risk was largely driven by lower risk of intracerebral bleeding.ConclusionsOur study findings indicate that bleeding risk, largely driven by lower risk of intracerebral bleeding, is lower with rivaroxaban than with VKA in stroke prevention in patients ≥80 years old with non-valvular AF.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pardo Sanz ◽  
L M Rincon ◽  
P Guedes Ramallo ◽  
L Belarte ◽  
G De Lara ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Balance between embolic and bleeding risk is challenging in patients with cancer. There is a lack of specific recommendations for the use of antithrombotic therapy in oncologic patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We compared the embolic and bleeding risk, the preventive management and the incidence of events between patients with and without cancer. We further evaluated the effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) within patients with cancer. Methods The AMBER-AF registry is an observational multicentre study that analysed patients with non-valvular AF treated in Oncology and Cardiology Departments in Spain. 1237 female patients with AF were enrolled: 637 with breast cancer and 599 without cancer. Mean follow-up was 3.1 years. Results Both groups were similar in age, CHA2DS2-VASc and HASB-LED scores. Lack of guidelines recommended therapies was more frequent among patients with cancer. Compared with patients without cancer, adjusted rates of stroke (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]) in cancer patients were higher (1.56 [1.04–2.35]), whereas bleeding rates remained similar (1.25 [0.95–1.64]). Within the group of patients with cancer, the use of DOACs vs VKAs did not entail differences in the adjusted rates of stroke (0.91 [0.42–1.99]) or severe bleedings (1.53 [0.93–2.53]). Follow-up events Conclusions Antithrombotic management of AF frequently differs in patients with breast cancer. While breast cancer is associated with a higher risk of incident stroke, bleeding events remained similar. Patients with cancer treated with DOACs experienced similar rates of stroke and bleeding as those with VKAs.


VASA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 389-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Gressenberger

Summary. Administration of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for the treatment of venous thrombotic events (VTE) or non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) is now standard of care and has demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety in numerous clinical studies. Usually these substances have lower overall mortality and less risk of cerebral hemorrhage, but depending on the substance and study, they are more likely to cause gastrointestinal bleeding than vitamin K antagonists (VKA), the medication that used to be standard for VTE and AF. Since DOACs have very short plasma elimination half-lives compared to VKA, for most bleeding events, expert opinions suggest that withdrawal of DOACs and supportive care will likely suffice to stop a bleeding episode. Because there is a bleeding risk associated with DOACs, reversal strategies may be needed if a patient receiving DOAC therapy bleeds during surgery or an invasive procedure. So far, idarucizumab has been the only available antidote that binds specifically to dabigatran and safely and quickly reverses its anticoagulant effects. Idarucizumab has no effects on anti Xa inhibitors or other anticoagulants. To date, treatment of serious, life-threatening bleeds in patients with anti-Xa-inhibitor has involved 4 factor prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC). PCC restores normal hemostasis laboratory values in most patients with major bleeding events after anti Xa inhibitor intake. Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved andexanet alfa as the first specific antidote for the anti-Xa inhibitors apixaban and rivaroxaban. So far clinical experience with this substance and data comparing it with PCC are lacking. Currently ciraparantag is under investigation as a universal reversal agent for all DOACs and low molecular weight heparin as well. Because it is so broadly applicable, ciraparantag might be a good future option for the management of most bleeding complications under anticoagulant treatment. The aim of this review is to summarize recent study data and recommendations on nonspecific and specific DOAC reversal strategies and to present the current evidence.


Phlebologie ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (04) ◽  
pp. 215-218
Author(s):  
C. Ploenes

SummaryOld age is an independent risk factor of venous thromboembolism. Nevertheless initial symptoms are often attributed to existing cardiac or pulmonary comorbidity. Once deep thromboembolism (DTE) is in focus, the synopsis of clinical findings and anamnestic clues help to take further steps to establish or rule out the diagnosis (e.g. Wells score). Treatment consists in oral anticoagulation, either by vitamin-k-antagonists or by direct oral anticoagulants (“DOACs”). Strict compliance of patients or main caregivers is essential in both cases. Simultaneous medication of platelet-inhibitingor nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – often unknown self medication – results in a raised bleeding risk and should be avoided. If longterm anticoagulation is mandatory, a strategy of sequential dose-reduced anticoagulation can be considered, especially in the case of increased bleeding-risk. Systemic fibrinolysis of pulmonary embolism goes along with a very high bleeding risk in old age and should be performed only in case of vital circulatory depression or failure.


Hematology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T. Cohen ◽  
Beverley J. Hunt

Abstract The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have transformed the management of thrombotic disorders. Large clinical trials have demonstrated that DOACs can replace vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in the 2 existing major indications for anticoagulation: the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation and the acute treatment and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE); this literature is widely known. In this article, we will concentrate on the less well-discussed benefits of the use of DOACs—using low doses as primary and secondary prophylaxis in both venous and arterial thromboprophylaxis. The attractiveness of using a low-dose DOAC is that the bleeding risk seems to be slightly lower than with the standard dose and significantly lower than with VKAs so that they can be used safely for long periods, where previously, VKAs had risk/benefit ratios that did not permit this. We discuss in detail the extended use of low-dose DOACs in secondary VTE prevention. We also cover the utility of low-dose DOACs in the evolving fields of prevention of hospital-associated VTE in acutely ill medical patients, after total hip and knee replacement, and in cancer patients. To complete the indications, we briefly discuss the role of low-dose DOACs in the secondary prevention of arterial vascular events.


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