Use of hormones and risk of venous thromboembolism

•The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not increased in women using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) with progestogens. •Oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel or norgestimate confer half the risk of VTE compared to oral contraceptives containing desogestrel, gestodene or drospirenone. •Progestogen-only pills do not confer an increased risk of VTE. •Women using transdermal contraceptive patches and combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are at an approximately eight times greater risk of VTE than non-users of hormonal contraceptives (HCs), corresponding to 9.7 events per 10,000 women/years. •Vaginal rings increase the risk of VTE by 6.5 times compared to not using HC, corresponding to 7.8 events per 10,000 women/years. •Several studies have demonstrated an increased risk of VTE in transgender individuals receiving hormone therapy (HT). •Hormone therapy during menopause increases the risk of VTE by approximately two times, and this risk is increased by obesity, thrombophilia, age over 60 years, surgery and immobilization. •The route of estrogen administration, the dosage and type of progestogen associated with estrogen may affect the risk of VTE in the climacteric. •Combined estrogen-progesterone therapy increases the risk of VTE compared to estrogen monotherapy. •Postmenopausal HT increases the risk of thrombosis at atypical sites.

A Study of the Current Scenario of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency during the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

 To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the residency of gynecology and obstetrics in São Paulo.

METHODS

 Cross-sectional study developed by representatives of residents of the Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the State of São Paulo (SOGESP, in the Portuguese acronym). Data were collected from questionnaires applied to gynecology and obstetrics residents registered on the SOGESP website in February 2022. The interviewees answered about the repercussions of the pandemic on medical residency and whether they had technical and psychological support during the period.

RESULTS

 A total of 247 questionnaires were collected from residents of gynecology and obstetrics. The residents had an age of 28.3 ± 3 years old, and most of them were female (88.4%). The displacement to COVID care was reported by 62.34% of the students, but only 35.6% reported completely adequate personal protective equipment and only 7.7% reported complete theoretical and technical instruction to support these patients. Almost all of the interviewees stated that the gynecology sector was the most affected. The majority of the interviewees considered that the second-year residents had the greatest loss, and more than half of the residents in the 1st and 2nd year said they wished to give up their residency during the pandemic. More than 80% of the residents reported online theoretical classes and/or presentation of articles, reinforcing the fact that virtual activities gained a greater space within the medical residency.

CONCLUSION

 The pandemic impacted the residency in greater proportion in outpatient clinics and gynecological surgeries, also interfering with the physician's desire to continue with the program.

Rivaroxaban Versus Enoxaparin for Thromboprophylaxis After major Gynecological Cancer Surgery: The VALERIA Trial : Venous thromboembolism prophylAxis after gynecoLogical pElvic cancer surgery with RIvaroxaban versus enoxAparin (VALERIA trial)

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention after major gynecological cancer surgery might be an alternative to parenteral low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Patients undergoing major gynecological cancer surgery were randomized at hospital discharge to receive rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily or enoxaparin 40 mg once daily for 30 days. The primary efficacy outcome was a combination of symptomatic VTE and VTE-related death or asymptomatic VTE at day 30. The primary safety outcome was the incidence of major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Two hundred and twenty-eight patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive rivaroxaban (n  =  114)or enoxaparin (n  =  114). The trial was stopped due to a lower-than-expected event rate. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 3.51% of patients assigned to rivaroxaban and in 4.39% of patients assigned to enoxaparin (relative risk 0.80, 95% CI 0.22 to 2.90; p  =  0.7344). Patients assigned to rivaroxaban had no primary bleeding event, and 3 patients (2.63%) in the enoxaparin group had a major or CRNM bleeding event (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.007 to 2.73; P  =  0.1963). In patients undergoing major gynecological cancer surgery, thromboprophylaxis with rivaroxaban 10 mg daily for 30 days had similar rates of thrombotic and bleeding events compared to parenteral enoxaparin 40 mg daily. While the power is limited due to not reaching the intended sample size, our results support the hypothesis that DOACs might be an attractive alternative strategy to LMWH to prevent VTE in this high-risk population.

Rivaroxaban versus no anticoagulation for post-discharge thromboprophylaxis after hospitalisation for COVID-19 (MICHELLE): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Patients hospitalised with COVID-19 are at risk for thrombotic events after discharge; the role of extended thromboprophylaxis in this population is unknown.

METHODS

In this open-label, multicentre, randomised trial conducted at 14 centres in Brazil, patients hospitalised with COVID-19 at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (International Medical Prevention Registry on Venous Thromboembolism [IMPROVE] venous thromboembolism [VTE] score of ≥4 or 2-3 with a D-dimer >500 ng/mL) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive, at hospital discharge, rivaroxaban 10 mg/day or no anticoagulation for 35 days. The primary efficacy outcome in an intention-to-treat analysis was a composite of symptomatic or fatal venous thromboembolism, asymptomatic venous thromboembolism on bilateral lower-limb venous ultrasound and CT pulmonary angiogram, symptomatic arterial thromboembolism, and cardiovascular death at day 35. Adjudication was blinded. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding. The primary and safety analyses were carried out in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04662684.

FINDINGS

From Oct 8, 2020, to June 29, 2021, 997 patients were screened. Of these patients, 677 did not meet eligibility criteria; the remaining 320 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive rivaroxaban (n=160 [50%]) or no anticoagulation (n=160 [50%]). All patients received thromboprophylaxis with standard doses of heparin during hospitalisation. 165 (52%) patients were in the intensive care unit while hospitalised. 197 (62%) patients had an IMPROVE score of 2-3 and elevated D-dimer levels and 121 (38%) had a score of 4 or more. Two patients (one in each group) were lost to follow-up due to withdrawal of consent and not included in the intention-to-treat primary analysis. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in five (3%) of 159 patients assigned to rivaroxaban and 15 (9%) of 159 patients assigned to no anticoagulation (relative risk 0·33, 95% CI 0·12-0·90; p=0·0293). No major bleeding occurred in either study group. Allergic reactions occurred in two (1%) patients in the rivaroxaban group.

INTERPRETATION

In patients at high risk discharged after hospitalisation due to COVID-19, thromboprophylaxis with rivaroxaban 10 mg/day for 35 days improved clinical outcomes compared with no extended thromboprophylaxis.

FUNDING

Bayer.

Medically Ill hospitalized Patients for COVID-19 THrombosis Extended ProphyLaxis with rivaroxaban ThErapy: Rationale and Design of the MICHELLE Trial

BACKGROUND

The devastating Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with a high prothrombotic state. It is unclear if the coagulation abnormalities occur because of the direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 or indirectly by the cytokine storm and endothelial damage or by a combination of mechanisms. There is a clear indication of in-hospital pharmacological thromboprophylaxis for every patient with COVID-19 after bleed risk assessment. However, there is much debate regarding the best dosage regimen, and there is no consensus on the role of extended thromboprophylaxis.

DESIGN

This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily for 35 ± 4 days versus no intervention after hospital discharge in COVID-19 patients who were at increased risk for VTE and have received standard parenteral VTE prophylaxis during hospitalization. The composite efficacy endpoint is a combination of symptomatic VTE, VTE-related death, VTE detected by bilateral lower limbs venous duplex scan and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram on day 35 ± 4 posthospital discharge and symptomatic arterial thromboembolism (myocardial infarction, nonhemorrhagic stroke, major adverse limb events, and cardiovascular death) up to day 35 ± 4 posthospital discharge. The key safety outcome is the incidence of major bleeding according to ISTH criteria.

SUMMARY

The MICHELLE trial is expected to provide high-quality evidence around the role of extended thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 and will help guide medical decisions in clinical practice.1.

Venous thromboembolism in women: new challenges for an old disease

In countries that have controlled classic causes of maternal death, such as eclampsia and hemorrhage, venous thromboembolism (VTE) has become the major concern. Prevention of VTE during pregnancy and postpartum by applying guidelines and implementing pharmacoprophylaxis is still the best strategy to reduce occurrence of this complication. Hormonal contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy also increase the risk of VTE, but women cannot be deprived of their benefits, which increase their freedom at childbearing age and reduce their symptoms at menopause. Both indiscriminate use and unmotivated prohibition are inappropriate. Contraceptive and hormone replacement methods should be chosen with care, evaluating the patients’ contraindications, eligibility criteria, and autonomy. This article presents a nonsystematic review of recent literature with the aim of evaluating and summarizing the associations between VTE and clinical situations peculiar to women.

Profilaxia de tromboembolismo venoso na gestação

O tromboembolismo venoso é importante causa de morbidade e mortalidade obstétrica. Durante a gestação, o risco de sua ocorrência aumenta entre cinco e dez vezes quando comparado ao de mulheres não gestantes de mesma idade. Associado a esse fato, a gestante apresenta algumas limitações para o diagnóstico clínico (alta frequência de dor e edema nos membros inferiores), ecográfico (menor sensibilidade e especificidade no diagnóstico de trombose venosa de ilíaca com a evolução da gestação) e laboratorial (o D-dímero apresenta aumento progressivo no decorrer da gravidez). Uma estratificação criteriosa de risco de tromboembolismo venoso de cada mulher antes da gestação pode diminuir a incidência dessa doença, frequente e de difícil diagnóstico na gravidez, e suas complicações.

[Comparative study of manual vacuum aspiration and uterine curettage for treatment of abortion]

OBJECTIVES

To compare manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and uterine curettage (D and C) for first trimester abortions, in terms of the efficiency of eliminating ovular remnants, frequency of complications, duration of the procedure, and duration of patients' hospitalization.

METHODS

In a prospective study, 50 patients in the MVA group and 50 in the D&C group were randomly included. Inclusion criteria were: spontaneous abortion, gestational age less than 13 weeks, patent cervix, endometrial thickness >15 mm, afebrile state, and hemoglobin >10 g/dl. Blood samples were collected before and after surgical procedures for control of hemoglobin levels. Anesthesia was performed in all cases. The time required for each surgical procedure was recorded.

RESULTS

Groups were similar regarding gestational age (9.93 +/- 2.40 vs 9.73 +/- 2.58 weeks; p = 0.71) and endometrial thickness before surgery (22.14 +/- 4.80 vs 22.68 +/- 5.68 mm; p = 0.65). There were no surgical or anesthetic complications in either group. Durations of the procedure and of hospitalization were significantly shorter in the MVA group (3.71 vs 10.18 min, p < 0.001, and 14.18 vs 23.06 h, p = 0.03, respectively). Decrease of hemoglobin levels was greater after the surgical procedure in the D and C group (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

MVA caused less blood loss, was less time consuming, and resulted in shorter hospitalization. However, both surgical procedures were found to be efficient for treatment of incomplete abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy, with no complications after both treatments.