scholarly journals HOW TO REDUCE GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING RISK ON ANTICOAGULATION THERAPY IN NON-VALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION?

Author(s):  
E. I. Baranova ◽  
А. G. Filatova ◽  
V. A. Ionin
TH Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. e211-e217
Author(s):  
Benjamin Miao ◽  
Monique Miller ◽  
Belinda Lovelace ◽  
Anne Beaubrun ◽  
Kelly McNeil-Posey ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction A paucity of contemporary data examining bleeding-related hospitalization outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients exists. Methods Adults in the Nationwide Readmissions Database (January 2016–November 2016) with AF and hospitalized for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or other bleeding were identified. Association between bleed types and outcomes were assessed using multivariable regression (gastrointestinal defined as referent) and reported as crude incidences and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results In total, 196,878 index bleeding-related hospitalizations were identified in this AF cohort (CHA2DS2VASc score ≥2 in 95.1%), with 70.8% classified as gastrointestinal. The overall incidences of in-hospital mortality, need for post-discharge out-of-home care, and 30-day readmission were 4.9, 50.8, and 18.2%, respectively. Multivariable regression suggested traumatic and nontraumatic ICHs were associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR = 3.99, 95% CI = 3.79, 4.19; OR = 13.09, 95% CI = 12.24, 13.99) and need for post-discharge out-of-home care (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 2.83, 3.01; OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.59, 2.90), and increases in mean index hospitalization length-of-stay (8.31 days, 95% CI = 8.03, 8.60, 6.27 days, 95% CI = 5.97, 6.57) versus gastrointestinal bleeding. Genitourinary and other bleeds were associated with lower mortality (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.25, 0.55; OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.53, 0.64) and reduced length-of-stays (−2.84 days, 95% CI =  − 2.91, −2.76; −2.06 days, 95% CI =  − 2.11, −2.01) versus gastrointestinal bleeding. Genitourinary bleeds were also associated with a reduced need for post-discharge out-of-home care (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.77, 0.97). Conclusion The burden of bleeding-related hospitalizations was notably driven by relatively rare but severe and life-threatening ICH, and less morbid but more frequent gastrointestinal bleeding. There is need for continued research on bleeding risk factors and mitigation techniques to avoid bleeding-related patient hospitalizations.


Author(s):  
Michael W Cullen ◽  
Sunghee Kim ◽  
Jonathan P Piccini ◽  
Alan S Go ◽  
Gregg C Fonarow ◽  
...  

Background Oral anticoagulation (OAC) can reduce stroke risk at the cost of increased bleeding risk in those with atrial fibrillation (AF). Observational data have shown that higher-risk patients with AF most likely to benefit from OAC are less likely to receive OAC at hospital discharge. Methods We used data from ORBIT-AF Registry, a cohort of 9,589 AF patients enrolled among 173 participating outpatient practices. OAC was defined as warfarin or dabigatran use at study enrollment. Stroke and bleeding risk were calculated using the CHADS2 and ATRIA scores, respectively. Results The study population had a mean age of 73.5 years; 57.8% were men. Overall, 76.4% of patients received OAC. Use of OAC rose with increasing CHADS2 stroke risk, from 67% for CHADS2 <1 to 80% for CHADS2 ≥2 (p<0.0001). OAC use fell slightly with increasing ATRIA bleeding risk, from 77% for ATRIA score ≤3 to 74% with ≥5 (p=0.002 for trend). Among patients with low bleeding risk, rates of OAC increased commensurate with stroke risk (p<0.0001 for interaction; see figure). Higher bleeding risk tended to decrease rates of OAC among patients with a CHADS2 score ≥2 (p=0.13 for interaction). Conclusions In community-based outpatients with AF, use of OAC rose with increasing thromboembolic risk and declined with higher bleeding risk. These findings suggest that the risk-treatment paradox may be less that previously reported. Provision of OAC in community practice appears to appropriately consider patients' stroke and bleeding risks. Further research is required to understand how quality improvement initiatives can further improve stroke prevention.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Aspberg ◽  
Yuchiao Chang ◽  
Daniel Singer

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Anticoagulation therapy (OAC) effectively prevents AIS, but increases bleeding risk. There is a need for better AIS risk prediction to optimize the anticoagulation decision in AF. The ATRIA stroke risk score (ATRIA) (table) was superior to CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc in two large California community AF cohorts. We now report the performance of the 3 scores in a very large Swedish AF cohort. Methods: The cohort consisted of all Swedish patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of AF from July 1, 2005 to December 31, 2008. Predictor variables and the outcome, AIS, were obtained from inpatient ICD-10 codes. Warfarin use was determined from National Pharmacy Database. Risk scores were assessed via c-index (C) and net reclassification index (NRI). Results: The cohort included 158,370 AF patients off warfarin who contributed 340,332 person-years of follow-up, and 11,823 incident AIS, for an overall AIS rate of 3.47%/yr, higher than the 2%/yr seen in the California cohorts. Using the entire point score, ATRIA had a good C of 0.712 (0.708-0.716), significantly better than CHADS2, 0.694 (0.689-0.698), or CHA2DS2-VASc, 0.697 (0.693-0.702). Using published cut-points for Low/Moderate/High AIS risk, C deteriorated for all scores but ATRIA and CHADS2 were superior to CHA2DS2-VASc. NRI favored ATRIA; 0.16 (0.15-0.18) versus CHADS2; 0.22 (0.21-0.24) versus CHA2DS2-VASc. However, NRI decreased to near-zero when cut-points were altered to better fit the cohort’s stroke rates. Conclusion: Findings in this large Swedish AF cohort validate those in the California AF cohorts, with the ATRIA score predicting stroke risk better than CHADS2 or CHA2DS2-VASc. However, relative performance of the categorical scores varied by population stroke risk. Knowledge about this population risk may be needed to optimize cut-points on the multipoint scores to achieve better net clinical benefit from OAC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 1550-1561
Author(s):  
Laura Fanning ◽  
Ian C. K. Wong ◽  
Xue Li ◽  
Esther W. Chan ◽  
Pajaree Mongkhon ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb Ferguson ◽  
Louise D Hickman ◽  
Jane Phillips ◽  
Phillip J Newton ◽  
Sally C Inglis ◽  
...  

Background: There is a need to improve cardiovascular nurses’ knowledge and practices related to stroke prevention, atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation therapy. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of EVICOAG – a novel mHealth, smartphone-based, spaced-learning intervention on nurses’ knowledge of atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation. Methods: Nurses employed in four clinical specialties (neuroscience, stroke, rehabilitation, cardiology) across three hospitals were invited to participate. In this quasi-experimental study, 12 case-based atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation learning scenarios (hosted by an mHealth platform) were delivered to participants’ smartphones over a 6-week period (July–December 2016) using a spaced timing algorithm. Electronic surveys to assess awareness and knowledge were administered pre (T1) and post (T2) intervention. Results: From 74 participants recruited to T1, 40 completed T2. There was a 54% mean improvement in knowledge levels post-intervention. The largest improvement was achieved in domains related to medication interaction and stroke and bleeding risk assessment. Post-intervention, those who completed T2 were significantly more likely to use CHA2DS2-VASc (2.5% vs. 37.5%) and HAS-BLED (2.5% vs. 35%) tools to assess stroke and bleeding risk, respectively ( P<0.01). Conclusion: The EVICOAG intervention improved nurses’ knowledge of atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation, and influenced their uptake and use of stroke and bleeding risk assessment tools in clinical practice. Future research should focus on whether a similar intervention might improve patient-centred outcomes such as patients’ knowledge of their condition and therapies, medication adherence, time in the therapeutic range and quality of life.


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.


Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wilson ◽  
Nadejda Kim ◽  
Maria Mor ◽  
Micahel Fine ◽  
Utibe Essien

Introduction: Homeless individuals, overrepresented by Veterans, are more likely to have chronic medical conditions and comorbidities. They receive less medical care and have poor health outcomes, though remain understudied. Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiovascular rhythm disorder, is managed largely through anticoagulation. Direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been shown superior to warfarin anticoagulation in efficacy, safety, and adherence, though costlier. Hypothesis: Homeless Veterans receive a worse standard of care for AF than non-homeless Veterans in terms of initiation of any anticoagulation therapy, and in prescription of DOACs vs warfarin among those who began therapy. Methods: We studied 181,982 Veterans with incident, non-valvular AF in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare system from 2010-2018 who were not previously anticoagulated. Those who died or entered hospice were excluded. We classified Veterans who had experienced homelessness in the 2 years prior to their AF diagnosis using ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes and through VA homeless services use. We used logistic regression to examine the odds of initiation of any, DOAC, or warfarin anticoagulation. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics (year, age, race, CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk score, HAS-BLED bleeding risk score, renal disease, BMI) and provider factors (e.g. specialty, had a patient seen a cardiologist within 90 days of their diagnosis). Facility type was modeled as a random effect. Results: Most of our cohort were male (178,400, 98%) and White (155,142, 85.6%). The homeless population of 6,472 was overrepresented by Black patients (1,574, 24.5%) and presented with AF at a younger age. The likelihood of being anticoagulated was lower in all populations before 2014. Having a BMI less than 25, liver disease, or bleeding concerns decreased the likelihood of being anticoagulated, while patients with renal disease were less likely to be prescribed DOACs. Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to be prescribed DOACs, regardless of homelessness status. We found the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of initiating any anticoagulant therapy for homeless Veterans was 0.71 (95% CI 0.67 - 0.75). Among those who initiated anticoagulation, homeless individuals were less likely than non-homeless Veterans to initiate DOACs (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.96). Conclusions: In a nationwide cohort of Veterans with AF, we found that homeless Veterans were less likely to initiate any anticoagulation, especially more effective DOAC therapy. These findings persisted after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical factors within an integrated health system with broad access to medical treatment through a uniform drug formulary. Future research must examine and address systematic biases to ensure high quality and equitable care for the most vulnerable populations, including homeless Veterans.


Author(s):  
Emily C O’Brien ◽  
DaJuanicia Holmes ◽  
Larry A Allen ◽  
Daniel E Singer ◽  
Gregg C Fonarow ◽  
...  

Background. Warfarin reduces the risk of thromboembolic events associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), but therapeutic persistence is suboptimal. Few studies have investigated the reasons for warfarin discontinuation in community practice. Methods. We used data from ORBIT-AF, the nation’s largest AF database, to examine patterns of warfarin discontinuation over a one-year period. Patients transitioned to non-warfarin oral anticoagulation therapy were excluded. We compared patient and provider characteristics between individuals who discontinued warfarin and those who persisted. Results. From June 2010 to August 2011, 10,126 AF patients 18 years or older were enrolled at 176 ORBIT-AF practices. Of these, 6,559 (64.8%) were taking warfarin at baseline and have follow-up data; 514 (7.8%) of these switched to dabigatran and were excluded from the analysis. Additionally, two patients without follow-up warfarin data were excluded from the analysis. Over one year, 587 patients (9.7%) discontinued warfarin therapy. Compared to persistent users, patients who discontinued warfarin were younger, less likely to be white, had lower stroke risk (CHADS 2 <2), were more likely to follow a rhythm control strategy, and were less likely to be managed in an anticoagulation clinic (Table 1). The most commonly reported reasons for warfarin discontinuation were physician preference (31.0%), other (18.7%), patient refusal/preference (13.6%), bleeding event (13.3%), frequent falls/frailty (7.3%), high bleeding risk (6.6%), and patient inability to adhere to/monitor therapy (2.9%). Conclusions. Discontinuation of warfarin is common among patients with atrial fibrillation. Patient and physician preference are major contributors to persistence on warfarin therapy.


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