Effect of Fixed-Bolus (5,000 Units) Unfractionated Heparin Before Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Activated Clotting Time, Time Flow, and All-Cause Mortality

Variability in Contemporary Heparin Prescription and Activated Clotting Time Monitoring During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Call for Up-To-Date Evidence-Based Guidelines

BACKGROUND

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the preferred anticoagulant agent in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures for minimising the risk of thrombotic complications. Because of the narrow therapeutic range of UFH, some society guidelines have advocated the use of the activated clotting time (ACT) test to monitor anticoagulation intensity during PCI to reduce thrombotic and bleeding complications. We aimed to assess the current practice of UFH prescription and its monitoring in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

METHOD

We conducted an anonymous voluntary cross-sectional survey of interventional cardiologists (ICs) who were members of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand in 2022. The survey included 10 questions pertaining to the current practice of anticoagulation during PCI.

RESULTS

Of 430 ICs surveyed, 148 responded (response rate, 34.4%). Most ICs (84.4%) prescribed 70-100 IU/kg of UFH for PCI. Over half of ICs (58.7%) routinely measured ACT during PCI, whereas only 22.2% routinely measured ACT after PCI to guide additional UFH prescription. Among ICs who prescribed additional UFH, approximately half (48%) aimed for ACT ≥250 seconds. Factors that influenced post-PCI UFH prescription included vascular access site and concomitant antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The contemporary practice of UFH prescription during PCI and ACT monitoring in ANZ is variable and based on outdated evidence preceding current drug-eluting stents, antiplatelet therapies, and radial-first practice. Current society guideline recommendations lack clarity and agreement, reflecting the quality of the available evidence. Up-to-date clinical trials evaluating UFH prescription and ACT monitoring are needed to optimise clinical outcomes in contemporary PCI procedures.

Antithrombotic therapies for neurointerventional surgery: a 2021 French comprehensive national survey

BACKGROUND

Neurointerventionists lack guidelines for the use of antithrombotic therapies in their clinical practice; consequently, there is likely to be significant heterogeneity in antithrombotic use between centers. Through a nationwide survey, we aimed to obtain an exhaustive cross-sectional overview of antithrombotic use in neurointerventional procedures in France.

METHODS

In April 2021, French neurointerventional surgery centers were invited to participate in a nationwide 51-question survey disseminated through an active trainee-led research collaborative network (the JENI-RC).

RESULTS

All 40 centers answered the survey. Fifty-one percent of centers reported using ticagrelor and 43% used clopidogrel as premedication before intracranial stenting. For flow diversion treatment, dual antiplatelet therapy was maintained for 3 or 6 months in 39% and 53% of centers, respectively, and aspirin was prescribed for 12 months or more than 12 months in 63% and 26% of centers, respectively. For unruptured aneurysms, the most common heparin bolus dose was 50 IU/kg (59%), and only 35% of centers monitored heparin activity for dose adjustment. Tirofiban was used in 64% of centers to treat thromboembolic complications. Fifteen percent of these comprehensive stroke centers reported using tenecteplase to treat acute ischemic strokes. Cangrelor appeared as an emergent drug in specific indications.

CONCLUSION

This nationwide survey highlights the important heterogeneity in clinical practices across centers. There is a pressing need for trials and guidelines to further evaluate and harmonize antithrombotic regimens in the neurointerventional field.

Factors other than body weight predicting heparin loading to acquire optimal activated clotting time in endovascular neurointerventions

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the activated clotting time (ACT) and heparin loading based on body weight (BW), and factors other than BW that may contribute to the ACT after heparin loading to establish a more accurate regimen for achieving ACT targets during endovascular neurointerventions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Japanese patients who underwent endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms or carotid artery stenting in our institution between January 2014 and November 2017 were enrolled. The ACT was measured before (pre-ACT) and 3 min after heparinization (post-ACT). The correlation between ACT and heparin loading based on BW and factors that may contribute to the ACT after heparin loading were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 199 cases (109 males, age: 66 ± 12 years) were analyzed. There were positive correlations between the heparin loading per kg of BW and post-ACT, post-ACT - pre-ACT (ΔACT) (Spearman's r = 0.2946, 0.2633, P: <0.0001, 0.0002, respectively). Heparin loading per kg of BW, gender, hematocrit (Ht), estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were significant confounding factors to ΔACT. The calculated predicted ΔACT based on these significant factors was found to be highly correlated with ΔACT compared with the heparin loading per kg of BW. (Spearman's r = 0.5820, P = <0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Initial BW-based heparin loading is a simple way in endovascular neurointerventions. ACT after heparin loading based on BW has individual differences greatly, it is possible to estimate more accurately the heparin loading for acquiring the optimal ACT considering not only BW but also gender, Ht and eGFR.