Use of rivaroxaban in patients with stroke

Use of rivaroxaban in patients attending a hematology unit in clinical practice

Aim: To determine drug persistence and rates of events among patients treated with rivaroxaban in a hematology unit. Methods: Retrospective study of patients that started treatment with rivaroxaban, in the hematology unit of a tertiary hospital. Results: A total of 161 patients were included, of whom 83.9% had atrial fibrillation and 11.2% venous thromboembolism, and 76.4% of patients were taking rivaroxaban 20 mg, 22.4% 15 mg and 1.2% 10 mg. After a follow-up of 1.8 ± 1.1 years, only four patients (2.5%) discontinued treatment. Rates of thromboembolic events, major bleeding/clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage were 1.1, 2.8, 0.3 events per 100 patient-years, respectively. Conclusion: In patients attended in a hematology unit, medication persistence was high, and the incidence of outcomes low.