The initial phase of oral anticoagulation with warfarin in outpatients with deep venous thrombosis

Outpatient Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis: a Model with a Breakdown of the Continuum of Care

Objectives

For emergency department (ED) patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) treated as outpatients, to determine treatment duration, complications and follow-up arrangements, in particular thrombophilia screening.

Methods

Explicit, retrospective medical record review of patients with an ED discharge diagnosis of DVT over a three-year period. Data collected included demographics, location of DVT, duration of treatment, complications, hospital admission, mortality, follow-up arrangements and referral for thrombophilia screening. Main outcomes were the duration of treatment, rate of complications and requirement for hospital admission, follow-up arrangements and referral for thrombophilia screening for patients treated as outpatients.

Results

Two hundred and fourteen patients with DVT were identified, of whom 74 [35%] were treated as outpatients. For this group, the median duration of treatment was eight days. There was one death from advanced neoplasia, two proven pulmonary emboli (PE) [2.7%, 95% CI 0.74–9.3%] and one suspected PE [1.4%, 95% CI 0.24–7.3%]. One patient had a recurrence of DVT within three months [1.4%, 95% CI 0.24–7.3%]. Few patients received specialist follow-up [25/74, 34%]. In 20 cases [27%], thrombophilia screening was neither performed nor recommended, despite no obvious cause for the DVT.

Conclusion

Outpatient treatment of selected DVT is safe, although there is a small incidence of non-fatal PE. Follow-up and screening arrangements were sub-optimal in the study sample and treatment duration was long. An ambulatory care model with direct physician control is recommended to improve follow-up arrangements, monitor service performance and ensure that the service evolves with new evidence and processes.

Pharmacogenetics in cardiovascular disorders: an update on the principal drugs

In the coming years, genomics will impact clinical practice in multiple ways. However, one of the most important applications will be in the determination of the best treatments in personalized medicine. This is, in fact, one of the fields in which genetic variants have already been most successful and useful to clinicians. Here, we briefly review the current state of the art on pharmacogenomics and its applications to modern cardiovascular medicine.

Treatment of venous thromboembolism: Adherence to guidelines and impact of physician knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs

OBJECTIVES

To assess the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients enrolled in a national, multicenter database.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cohort study that randomly selected VTE patients from 38 academic/teaching, community, and Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals. The study included a physician survey component. The patients selected were those treated between January 2002 and June 2003 who had an ICD-9-CM code for pulmonary embolus (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or pregnancy-related PE or DVT.

RESULTS

The study included 939 patients: 52.7% with DVT, 28.4% with PE, and 18.8% with PE and DVT. Mean age was 59.5 years. Risk factors included obesity (body mass index > 30) in 30.1%, history of VTE in 28.0%, malignancy in 27.4%, surgery in 21.1%, and immobility in 18.5%. Only 56.1% of patients were treated with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Bridging from LMWH or unfractionated heparin (UFH) to warfarin was completed during hospitalization in 486 (68.6%), but only 246 (50.6%) had an international normalized ratio (INR) > or = 2 for 48 hours before discontinuation of the injectable anticoagulant. Length of stay in patients discharged on bridge therapy was 4.0 +/- 3.7 days vs 8.1 +/- 5.8 days for patients discharged on warfarin therapy (P < .001). Ninety-two (10.1%) patients were discharged with neither oral nor injectable anticoagulation and had a mean duration of treatment of only 10.6 +/- 16.2 days. Of 245 physicians surveyed from participating hospitals, 84% and 53%, respectively, indicated that LMWH was their preferred agent for treatment of DVT and treatment of PE. With regard to warfarin, 30% did not believe it was necessary to have a therapeutic INR for > or = 2 days before discontinuing LMWH or UFH, and 27% responded that it was necessary to keep DVT patients in the hospital until they were therapeutic.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cross-section of United States hospitals, lower than anticipated use of LMWH, insufficient bridging from UFH or LMWH to warfarin, and continuation of anticoagulation after hospitalization were all problems discovered with the treatment of VTE. Physician knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs are partially responsible for the gap between actual practice and international guidelines. These results suggest that hospitals should evaluate their adherence to international VTE treatment guidelines and develop strategies to optimize antithrombotic therapy.

Effects of oral anticoagulation with various INR levels in deep vein thrombosis cases

AIM: In order to avoid the complications associated with thromboembolic disease, patients with this condition typically are placed on long-term anticoagulant therapy. This report compares bleeding complications in this patient population by level of achieved INR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the 6-year period between January 1997 and January 2003, 386 patients with venous thromboembolism of the lower extremities were admitted to the Cardiovascular Surgery Outpatient Clinic of Alsancak State Hospital. Of the 386 patients, 198 (51.2%) were women, and the average age was 52.3 years. All diagnoses of venous thromboembolism were confirmed by means of Doppler ultrasonography. Further investigation showed occult neoplasms in 22 (5.6%) of the cases. We excluded the patients with occult disease, and the remaining 364 constituted our study population. RESULTS: Oral anticoagulation was standardized at 6 months' duration in all cases. We divided the patients into two groups. Group I consisted of 192 patients (52.7%) with INR values between 1.9 and 2.5; Group II comprised 172 patients with INR values between 2.6 and 3.5. Complications in each group were assessed and compared. The minor hemorrhage rate was 1.04% in Group I and 4.06% in Group II. The major hemorrhage rate was also 1.04% in Group I and was 6.3% in Group II. We determined that the complication rates for both minor and major hemorrhage were significant in patients with INR values above 2.5. CONCLUSION: Oral anticoagulation must be followed closely in patients with venous thromboembolism. Higher INR levels are associated with significant increases in hemorrhage and associated complications. INR values of 2.0 to 2.5 are sufficient for long-term anticoagulant therapy, ensuring ideal anticoagulation levels and minimizing the complication rate.