Thromb Haemostasis
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Administration of a P2Y 12 -receptor antagonist in addition to aspirin is mandatory in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to reduce the occurrence of thrombotic events; however, their impact on mortality and stroke is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the influence of moderate (clopidogrel) or potent (prasugrel/ticagrelor) P2Y 12 -receptor inhibition on major cardiovascular outcomes among patients with ACS or undergoing PCI. Systematic literature search was performed to find randomised, controlled clinical trials comparing the clinical impact of clopidogrel with placebo or prasugrel/ticagrelor versus clopidogrel. ⋯ Compared to placebo, clopidogrel reduced the risk of cardiovascular death (odds ratio [OR]: 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-0.99, p=0.02), MI (OR 0.80; 95%CI 0.74-0.88, p<0.00001) and stroke (OR 0.84; 95%CI 0.72-0.97, p=0.02), without influencing risk for ICH (OR 0.96; 95%CI 0.69-1.33, p=0.79). Treatment with prasugrel/ticagrelor provided additional benefit over clopidogrel regarding cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.78-0.94, p=0.002) and MI (OR: 0.83; 95%CI 0.74-0.93, p<0.001), but no advantage in stroke (OR: 1.06; 95%CI 0.88-1.26, p=0.55) and in ICH (OR: 1.16; 95%CI 0.75-1.81; p=0.49) was observed. Increased potency of P2Y 12 -receptor inhibition is associated with decreased risk in cardiovascular death and MI; however, this association is not true in case of stroke, where potent P2Y 12 -receptor antagonists have no incremental benefit over clopidogrel.
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Review Meta Analysis
Accuracy of emergency physician-performed ultrasonography in the diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Duplex ultrasound is the first-line diagnostic test for detecting lower limb deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) but it is time consuming, requires patient transport, and cannot be interpreted by most physicians. The accuracy of emergency physician-performed ultrasound (EPPU) for the diagnosis of DVT, when performed at the bedside, is unclear. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, aiming to provide reliable data on the accuracy of EPPU in the diagnosis of DVT. ⋯ Using the bivariate approach, the weighted mean sensitivity of EPPU compared to the reference imaging test was 96.1% (95%CI 90.6-98.5%), and with a weighted mean specificity of 96.8% (95%CI:94.6-98.1%). Our findings suggest that EPPU may be useful in the management of patients with suspected DVT. Future prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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Prospective trials have shown that rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis is superior over low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery. However, patients treated under trial conditions are different from unselected routine patients, which may affect efficacy and safety of thromboprophylaxis. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban or LMWH thromboprophylaxis in unselected patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery in daily care. ⋯ Rivaroxaban patients had fewer surgical complications (1.1 vs. 3.7%; p<0.001) and a shorter length of hospitalisation (8.3 days; 95% CI 8.1- 8.5 vs. 11.1 days; 10.7- 11.5; p< 0.001). We conclude that rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis is more effective than LMWH in unselected patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery in daily care and that switching from LMWH to rivaroxaban could be beneficial. Prospective comparisons are warranted to confirm our findings.
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Review
Venous thromboembolism in cancer patients - risk scores and recent randomised controlled trials.
Cancer patients are at increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Guidelines recommend routine thromboprophylaxis in hospitalised acutely ill cancer patients and in myeloma patients receiving combination treatments including thalidomide or lenalidomide. Currently, thromboprophylaxis is not recommended in cancer outpatients. ⋯ However, VTE incidence rates were low. To date, no data is available from interventional studies applying thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients categorised into high-risk groups on the basis of risk assessment with scores. From the available literature we conclude that risk assessment for VTE is feasible in cancer patients; however, interventional studies to investigate the safety and efficacy of thromboprophylaxis in a high risk cancer population have yet to be performed.
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Limited data exist on thrombophilia and the risk of venous thrombosis (VT) during pregnancy and postpartum. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the role of haemostatic risk factors for pregnancy-related VT and their phenotypic expression in deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Total 313 cases with objectively verified first time VT and 353 controls were selected from a source population of 377,155 women with 613,232 pregnancies. ⋯ Women carrying the factor V Leiden (F5 rs6025) polymorphism, or who had reduced sensitivity to activated protein C (aPC) in the absence of F5 rs6025, had increased risk for DVT, with unadjusted ORs 7.7 (95% CI 4.7-12.7) and 3.5 (95% CI 2.2-5.4), respectively. Women with a history of pregnancy-related VT showed activation of coagulation and had elevated factor VIII. Furthermore, high levels of factor IX and low levels of free protein S were associated with increased risk for PE, whereas aPC resistance and F5 rs6025 were risk factors for DVT and not PE.