Clinical impact of the perioperative management of oral anticoagulants in bleeding after colonic endoscopic mucosal resection

[IDEN Consensus on Management of Antithrombotic Agents in Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Endoscopy]

Antithrombotic agents, including antiplatelet agent and anticoagulants are widely used in Korea due to increasing incidence of cardio-cerebrovascular disease and aging population. The management of patients using antithrombotic agents during endoscopic procedures is an important clinical challenge. Clinical practice guideline regarding this issue which was developed by the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy was published in 2020. However, since then, new evidence has emerged for the use of dual antiplatelet therapy and direct anticoagulant management, and revised guidelines were issued in the US and Europe. Accordingly, the previous guidelines were revised, cardiologists also participated in the development group, and the recommendations went through a consensus process among international experts. This guideline presents 14 recommendations made according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology, and was reviewed by multidisciplinary experts. This guideline provides useful information that can assist endoscopists in the management of patients on antithrombotic agents who require diagnostic and elective therapeutic endoscopy. It will be revised as necessary to cover changes in technology, evidence, or other aspects of clinical practice.

International Digestive Endoscopy Network consensus on the management of antithrombotic agents in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy

Antithrombotic agents, including antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants, are widely used in Korea because of the increasing incidence of cardiocerebrovascular disease and the aging population. The management of patients using antithrombotic agents during endoscopic procedures is an important clinical challenge. The clinical practice guidelines for this issue, developed by the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, were published in 2020. However, new evidence on the use of dual antiplatelet therapy and direct anticoagulant management has emerged, and revised guidelines have been issued in the United States and Europe. Accordingly, the previous guidelines were revised. Cardiologists were part of the group that developed the guideline, and the recommendations went through a consensus-reaching process among international experts. This guideline presents 14 recommendations made based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology and was reviewed by multidisciplinary experts. These guidelines provide useful information that can assist endoscopists in the management of patients receiving antithrombotic agents who require diagnostic and elective therapeutic endoscopy. It will be revised as necessary to cover changes in technology, evidence, or other aspects of clinical practice.

Bleeding After Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Focused on Management of Xa Inhibitors

Purpose

The use of direct oral Xa inhibitors (DXaIs) to prevent venothrombotic events is increasing. However, gastrointestinal bleeding, including that related to endoscopic resection, is a concern. In this study, we evaluated bleeding and coagulation times during the perioperative period of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Materials and Methods

Patients who consecutively underwent gastric ESD from August 2016 to December 2018 were analyzed. Bleeding rates were compared among the 3 groups (antiplatelet, DXaIs, and control). DXaI administration was discontinued on the day of the procedure. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, and the ratio of inhibited thrombin generation (RITG), which was based on dilute PT, were determined before and after ESD.

Results

During the study period, 265 gastric ESDs were performed in 239 patients, where 23 and 50 patients received DXaIs and antiplatelets, respectively. Delayed bleeding occurred in 17 patients (7.4%) and 21 lesions (7.1%). The bleeding rate in the DXaI group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (30.4%, P<0.01), and the adjusted odds ratio of bleeding was 5.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4–23.7; P=0.016). In patients using DXaIs, there was a significant (P=0.046) difference in the median RITG between bleeding cases (18.6%) and non-bleeding cases (3.8%).

Conclusions

A one-day cessation of DXaIs was related to a high incidence of bleeding after gastric ESD, and monitoring of residual coagulation activity at trough levels might enable the predicted risk of delayed bleeding in patients using DXaIs.

Bleeding after endoscopic resection between direct oral anticoagulants or warfarin: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Oral anticoagulants are risk factors for post-endoscopic resection bleeding. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis for the risks of post-procedural bleeding (PPB) for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin following endoscopic resection.

METHODS

Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score was used to assess the quality of the studies, the pooled odds ratio (OR) to present PPB results, and the funnel plots to assess publication bias. The Higgins I² statistic was employed to determine the variation across studies due to heterogeneity.

RESULTS

We reviewed 30 articles. PPB occurred in 586 patients on DOACs and 1782 on warfarin. The patients on DOACs had a significantly lower overall risk of PPB compared with those on warfarin (OR, 0.867, 95% confidence interval, 0.771-0.975; P = 0.017, I²  = 1.6%). Cumulative meta-analysis showed that the PPB rate of DOACs has the trend to be lower than that of warfarin with publication year and sample size. For the subgroup of endoscopic submucosal dissection, the PPB of DOACs was significantly lower than that of warfarin (OR, 0.786; 95% confidence interval, 0.633-0.976; P = 0.029, I²  = 0%). No significant difference was observed between DOACs and warfarin for anticoagulant strategies, endoscopic procedures, and lesion location.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with warfarin, DOACs have the possibility to significantly decrease the risk of PPB following endoscopic resection, especially for endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Endoscopy in patients on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy: British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) guideline update

This is a collaboration between the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), and is a scheduled update of their 2016 guideline on endoscopy in patients on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. The guideline development committee included representatives from the British Society of Haematology, the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society, and two patient representatives from the charities Anticoagulation UK and Thrombosis UK, as well as gastroenterologists. The process conformed to AGREE II principles and the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were derived using GRADE methodology. Prior to submission for publication, consultation was made with all member societies of ESGE, including BSG. Evidence-based revisions have been made to the risk categories for endoscopic procedures, and to the categories for risks of thrombosis. In particular a more detailed risk analysis for atrial fibrillation has been employed, and the recommendations for direct oral anticoagulants have been strengthened in light of trial data published since the previous version. A section has been added on the management of patients presenting with acute GI haemorrhage. Important patient considerations are highlighted. Recommendations are based on the risk balance between thrombosis and haemorrhage in given situations.

Endoscopy in patients on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy: British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) guideline update

This is a collaboration between the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), and is a scheduled update of their 2016 guideline on endoscopy in patients on antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. The guideline development committee included representatives from the British Society of Haematology, the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society, and two patient representatives from the charities Anticoagulation UK and Thrombosis UK, as well as gastroenterologists. The process conformed to AGREE II principles, and the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were derived using GRADE methodology. Prior to submission for publication, consultation was made with all member societies of ESGE, including BSG. Evidence-based revisions have been made to the risk categories for endoscopic procedures, and to the categories for risks of thrombosis. In particular a more detailed risk analysis for atrial fibrillation has been employed, and the recommendations for direct oral anticoagulants have been strengthened in light of trial data published since the previous version. A section has been added on the management of patients presenting with acute GI haemorrhage. Important patient considerations are highlighted. Recommendations are based on the risk balance between thrombosis and haemorrhage in given situations.

Management of anticoagulants in delayed bleeding after endoscopic resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and study aims  Delayed bleeding and thrombotic events are uncontrolled adverse events that are hard to balance in patients receiving anticoagulants after endoscopic resection. The present study aims to assess the clinical effect of warfarin, when compared to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), in terms of delayed bleeding and thrombotic events. Methods  A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted for eligible literature. Pairwise meta-analyses were performed on outcomes of delayed bleeding and thrombotic events. Two networks within the Bayesian framework were established based on the management of anticoagulants and type of DOAC. Results  Eight cohort studies with 2,046 patients were eligible for inclusion, including 1,176 patients treated with warfarin and 870 with DOACs. There was no significant difference between warfarin and DOACs, in terms of delayed bleeding (OR = 1.29, 95 % CI [0.99-1.69]) and thromboembolism (OR = 2.0, 95 % CI [0.32-12.39]). In the network meta-analyses for delayed bleeding, the rank probabilities revealed that the safest management was discontinuous warfarin without heparin bridge therapy (HBT). Rank probabilities for the types of DOACs demonstrated that the safest drug was dabigatran. Conclusions  There was no significant difference in delayed bleeding and thromboembolism between warfarin and DOACs in patients receiving endoscopic treatment. In terms of delayed bleeding, discontinuous warfarin without HBT was suggested as the best management, and dabigatran was recommended as the best type of DOAC.

Anticoagulation and antiplatelet management in gastrointestinal endoscopy: A review of current evidence

The role of endoscopic procedures, in both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is continually expanding and evolving rapidly. In this context, endoscopists will encounter patients prescribed on anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications frequently. This poses an increased risk of intraprocedural and delayed gastrointestinal bleeding. Thus, there is now greater importance on optimal pre, peri and post-operative management of anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy to minimise the risk of post-procedural bleeding, without increasing the risk of a thromboembolic event as a consequence of therapy interruption. Currently, there are position statements and guidelines from the major gastroenterology societies. These are available to assist endoscopists with an evidenced-based systematic approach to anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet management in endoscopic procedures, to ensure optimal patient safety. However, since the publication of these guidelines, there is emerging evidence not previously considered in the recommendations that may warrant changes to our current clinical practices. Most notably and divergent from current position statements, is a growing concern regarding the use of heparin bridging therapy during warfarin cessation and its associated risk of increased bleeding, suggestive that this practice should be avoided. In addition, there is emerging evidence that anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy may be safe to be continued in cold snare polypectomy for small polyps (< 10 mm).

Effects of antithrombotic agents on post-operative bleeding after endoscopic resection of gastrointestinal neoplasms and polyps: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There are some studies investigating the relationship between antithrombotic medication and postoperative bleeding after endoscopic resection (ER) with controversial results. 

AIM

To perform a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of antithrombotic therapy on postoperative bleeding after ER.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality of studies. Stata 12.0 was used for statistical analysis. The odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI were calculated and heterogeneity was quantified using Cochran’s Q test and I².

RESULTS

Total 66 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled data suggested that antithrombotic therapy was significantly associated with postoperative bleeding (OR = 2.302, 95%CI: 2.057-2.577, P = 0.000) after ER. The risk of postoperative bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection, endoscopic mucosal resection and polypectomy in the antithrombotic group was higher than the non-antithrombotic group (OR = 2.439, 95%CI: 1.916-3.105; OR = 2.688, 95%CI: 1.098-6.582; OR = 2.112, 95%CI: 1.434-3.112). 

CONCLUSION

The risk of postoperative bleeding after ER correlated with the types and management of antithrombotic agents by our meta-analysis.