Direct Oral Anticoagulant Plasma Levels for the Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armin Marsch ◽  
Kosmas Macha ◽  
Gabriela Siedler ◽  
Lorenz Breuer ◽  
Erwin F. Strasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Plasma Level ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Emergency Treatment ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Vessel Occlusion

Introduction: The management of acute ischemic stroke in patients on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is challenging. However, the substance-specific plasma level could guide treatment decisions on recanalization therapies. We present a plasma-level-based protocol for emergency treatment of stroke patients on oral anticoagulants. Bleeding complications and clinical outcome for patients on DOACs are reported and compared to patients on vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Methods: In patients with acute ischemic stroke and suspected use of DOACs within 48 h prior to hospital admission, plasma levels were measured using the calibrated Xa-activity (apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban) or the Hemoclot®-assay (dabigatran). Levels <50 ng/mL were supportive for thrombolysis, while high values >100 ng/mL excluded patients from recombinant tissue plasminogen activator use. For patients on VKAs, the cutoff was set at international normalized ratio of 1.7. Endovascular thrombectomy of a large vessel occlusion was performed independently from coagulation testing. Consecutive patients were included in an observational registry. Results: Five hundred and twenty-two patients (261 on VKAs and 261 on DOACs) were included. Thirty patients (11.5%) on VKAs and 24 (9.2%) on DOACs received thrombolysis, followed by mechanical thrombectomy in 10 and 14 patients, respectively. Seventeen patients in each group received thrombectomy only. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage associated with thrombolysis occurred in 1 patient on VKA (3.3%) and 1 on DOAC (4.2%; p = 0.872). The turnaround time of specific assays did not show a significant delay in comparison to standard coagulation parameters. Conclusion: DOAC plasma levels could support decisions on emergency treatment of ischemic stroke. Systemic thrombolysis below suggested thresholds appears preliminary feasible and safe without an excess in bleeding complications.

scholarly journals Cerebral Ischemia in Patients on Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Stroke ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 873-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosmas Macha ◽  
Armin Marsch ◽  
Gabriela Siedler ◽  
Lorenz Breuer ◽  
Erwin F. Strasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin K ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
International Normalized Ratio ◽  
Large Vessel ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Large Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Vessel Occlusion

Background and Purpose— In patients with ischemic stroke on therapy with vitamin K antagonists, stroke severity and clinical course are affected by the quality of anticoagulation at the time of stroke onset, but clinical data for patients using direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are limited. Methods— Data from our registry including all patients admitted with acute cerebral ischemia while taking oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation between November 2014 and October 2017 were investigated. The activity of vitamin K antagonists was assessed using the international normalized ratio on admission and categorized according to a threshold of 1.7. DOAC plasma levels were measured using the calibrated Xa-activity (apixaban, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban) or the Hemoclot-assay (dabigatran) and categorized into low (<50 ng/mL), intermediate (50–100 ng/mL), or high (>100 ng/mL). Primary objective was the association between anticoagulant activity and clinical and imaging characteristics. Results— Four hundred sixty patients were included (49% on vitamin K antagonists and 51% on DOAC). Patients on vitamin K antagonists with low international normalized ratio values had higher scores on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and a higher risk of large vessel occlusion on admission. For patients on DOAC, plasma levels were available in 75.6% and found to be low in 49 (27.7%), intermediate in 41 (23.2%), and high in 87 patients (49.2%). Low plasma levels were associated with higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores on admission (low: 8 [interquartile range, 3–15] versus intermediate: 4 [1–11] versus high: 3 [0–8]; P <0.001) and higher risk of persisting neurological deficits or cerebral infarction on imaging (85.7% versus 75.6% versus 54.0%; P <0.001). Low DOAC plasma levels were an independent predictor of large vessel occlusion (odds ratio, 3.84 [95% CI, 1.80–8.20]; P =0.001). Conclusions— The activity of anticoagulation measured by specific DOAC plasma levels on admission is associated with stroke severity and presence of large vessel occlusion.

Mechanical thrombectomy in orally anticoagulated patients with acute ischemic stroke

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 834-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Zapata-Wainberg ◽  
Álvaro Ximénez-Carrillo ◽  
Santiago Trillo ◽  
Blanca Fuentes ◽  
Antonio Cruz-Culebras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Intracranial Hemorrhage ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Mechanical Thrombectomy ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Anticoagulated Patients

Background and purposeTo investigate the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke according to the oral anticoagulation medication taken at the time of stroke onset.Materials and methodsA retrospective multicenter study of prospectively collected data based on data from the registry the Madrid Stroke Network was performed. We included consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with mechanical thrombectomy and compared the frequency of intracranial hemorrhage and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months according to anticoagulation status.ResultsThe study population comprised 502 patients, of whom 389 (77.5%) were not anticoagulated, 104 (20.7%) were taking vitamin K antagonists, and 9 (1.8%) were taking direct oral anticoagulants. Intravenous thrombolysis had been performed in 59.8% and 15.0% of non-anticoagulated and anticoagulated patients, respectively. Rates of intracranial hemorrhage after treatment were similar between non-anticoagulated and anticoagulated patients, as were rates of recanalization. After 3 months of follow-up, the mRS score was ≤2 in 56.3% and 55.7% of non-anticoagulated and anticoagulated patients, respectively (P=NS). Mortality rates were similar in the two groups (13.1%and12.4%, respectively). Among anticoagulated patients, no differences were found for intracranial bleeding, mRS score, or mortality rates between patients taking vitamin K antagonists and those taking direct oral anticoagulants.ConclusionsMechanical thrombectomy is feasible in anticoagulated patients with acute ischemic stroke. The outcomes and safety profile are similar to those of patients with no prior anticoagulation therapy.

scholarly journals Falls in ED patients: do elderly patients on direct oral anticoagulants bleed less than those on vitamin K antagonists?

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Müller ◽  
Ioannis Chanias ◽  
Michael Nagler ◽  
Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos ◽  
Thomas C. Sauter
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Intracranial Haemorrhage ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Anticoagulated Patients ◽  
Proportional Incidence

Abstract Background Falls from standing are common in the elderly and are associated with a significant risk of bleeding. We have compared the proportional incidence of bleeding complications in patients on either direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) or vitamin K antagonists (VKA). Methods Our retrospective cohort study compared elderly patients (≥65 years) on DOAC or VKA oral anticoagulation who presented at the study site – a Swiss university emergency department (ED) – between 01.06.2012 and 01.07.2017 after a fall. The outcomes were the proportional incidence of any bleeding complication and its components (e.g. intracranial haemorrhage), as well as procedural and clinical parameters (length of hospital stay, admission to intensive care unit, in-hospital-mortality). Uni- and multivariable analyses were used to compare the studied outcomes. Results In total, 1447 anticoagulated patients were included – on either VKA (n = 1021) or DOAC (n = 426). There were relatively more bleeding complications in the VKA group (n = 237, 23.2%) than in the DOAC group (n = 69, 16.2%, p = 0.003). The difference persisted in multivariable analysis with 0.7-fold (95% CI: 0.5–0.9, p = 0.014) lower odds for patients under DOAC than under VKA for presenting with any bleeding complications, and 0.6-fold (95% 0.4–0.9, p = 0.013) lower odds for presenting with intracranial haemorrhage. There were no significant differences in the other studied outcomes. Conclusions Among elderly, anticoagulated patients who had fallen from standing, those under DOACs had a lower proportional incidence of bleeding complications in general and an even lower incidence of intracranial haemorrhage than in patients under VKAs.

scholarly journals Optimal Anticoagulation Strategy for Cardioversion in Atrial Fibrillation

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp Bushoven ◽  
Sven Linzbach ◽  
Mate Vamos ◽  
Stefan H Hohnloser ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Stroke Prevention ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Prospective Trial ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Pharmacological Cardioversion

For many patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation, cardioversion is performed to restore sinus rhythm and relieve symptoms. Cardioversion carries a distinct risk for thromboembolism which has been described to be in the order of magnitude of 1 to 3 %. For almost five decades, vitamin K antagonist therapy has been the mainstay of therapy to prevent thromboembolism around the time of cardioversion although not a single prospective trial has formally established its efficacy and safety. Currently, three new direct oral anticoagulants are approved for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. For all three, there are data regarding its usefulness during the time of electrical or pharmacological cardioversion. Due to the ease of handling, their efficacy regarding stroke prevention, and their safety with respect to bleeding complications, the new direct oral anticoagulants are endorsed as the preferred therapy over vitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation including the clinical setting of elective cardioversion.

scholarly journals Rates and Determinants for the Use of Anticoagulation Treatment before Stroke in Patients with Known Atrial Fibrillation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-49
Author(s):  
Michela  Giustozzi ◽  
Giancarlo Agnelli ◽  
Silvia Quattrocchi ◽  
Monica Acciarresi ◽  
Andrea Alberti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Antiplatelet Agents ◽  
Anticoagulant Treatment ◽  
Anticoagulation Treatment

Introduction and Objective: Even though the introduction of less cumbersome anticoagulant agents has improved, the rates ofoverall anticoagulant treatment in eligible patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remain to be defined. We aimed to assess the rates of and determinants for the use of anticoagulation treatment before stroke in patients with known AF since the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in clinical practice. Methods: Consecutive patients admitted to an individual stroke unit, from September 2013 through July 2019, for acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) with known AF before the event were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of the use of anticoagulant treatment. Results: Overall, 155 patients with ischemic stroke/TIA and known AF were included in this study. Among 152 patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score >1, 43 patients were not receiving any treatment, 47 patients were receiving antiplatelet agents, and the remaining 62 patients were on oral anticoagulants. Among 34 patients on DOAC, 13 were receiving a nonlabeled reduced dose and 18 out of 34 patients on vitamin K antagonists had an INR value <2 at the time of admission. Before stroke, only 34 out of 155 patients (21.9%) were adequately treated according to current guidelines. Previous stroke/TIA was the only independent predictor of the use of anticoagulant therapy. Conclusions: Only 21.9% of the patients hospitalized for a stroke or TIA with known AF before the event were adequately treated according to recent treatment guidelines. It is important to improve medical information about the risk of AF and the efficacy of anticoagulants in stroke prevention.

scholarly journals Direct oral anticoagulants versus vitamin K antagonists in patients with atrial fibrillation and cancer a meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Valerio Mariani ◽  
Michele Magnocavallo ◽  
Martina Straito ◽  
Agostino Piro ◽  
Paolo Severino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Major Bleeding ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Efficacy And Safety

Abstract Background Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are recommended as first-line anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, in patients with cancer and AF the efficacy and safety of DOACs are not well established. Objective We performed a meta-analysis comparing available data regarding the efficacy and safety of DOACs vs vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in cancer patients with non-valvular AF. Methods An online search of Pubmed and EMBASE libraries (from inception to May, 1 2020) was performed, in addition to manual screening. Nine studies were considered eligible for the meta-analysis involving 46,424 DOACs users and 182,797 VKA users. Results The use of DOACs was associated with reduced risks of systemic embolism or any stroke (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.52–0.81; p 0.001), ischemic stroke (RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.74–0.95; p 0.007) and hemorrhagic stroke (RR 0.61; 95% CI 0.52–0.71; p 0.00001) as compared to VKA group. DOAC use was associated with significantly reduced risks of major bleeding (RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.50–0.92; p 0.01) and intracranial or gastrointestinal bleeding (RR 0.64; 95% CI 0.47–0.88; p 0.006). Compared to VKA, DOACs provided a non-statistically significant risk reduction of the outcomes major bleeding or non-major clinically relevant bleeding (RR 0.94; 95% CI 0.78–1.13; p 0.50) and any bleeding (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.78–1.06; p 0.24). Conclusions In comparison to VKA, DOACs were associated with a significant reduction of the rates of thromboembolic events and major bleeding complications in patients with AF and cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.

scholarly journals Direct oral anticoagulants versus vitamin K antagonists after recent ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 823-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Seiffge ◽  
Maurizio Paciaroni ◽  
Duncan Wilson ◽  
Masatoshi Koga ◽  
Kosmas Macha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Vitamin K ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants

The Effectiveness and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) Vs. Traditional Anticoagulants in Patients with Cirrhosis

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 5015-5015
Author(s):  
Justin Hum ◽  
Janice Jou ◽  
Thomas G. Deloughery ◽  
Joseph Shatzel
Keyword(s):  
Major Bleeding ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Vitamin K Antagonists ◽  
Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Direct Oral Anticoagulants ◽  
Bleeding Complications ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Recurrent Thrombosis ◽  
Bleeding Events ◽  
Cirrhotic Patients

Abstract Introduction: The coagulopathy associated with cirrhosis is complex and places patients at risk for both bleeding and thrombosis. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been shown to have superior efficacy and safety compared to vitamin K antagonists; however their efficacy and safety in cirrhotic patients is not clear. The aim of this study is to retrospectively compare the effectiveness and bleeding complications of DOACs as compared to traditional anticoagulants in cirrhotic patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of patients treated at a single academic center between 2012-2015 who were prescribed a DOAC (apixaban or rivaroxaban), or a traditional anticoagulant (warfarin or low molecular weight heparin), with an ICD-9 code for the diagnosis of cirrhosis. The primary outcomes of interest are recurrent thrombosis or stroke (efficacy failure), or bleeding events (safety failure). Major bleeds were characterized as fatal bleeding, symptomatic bleeding in critical organ area, or bleeding causing a fall in hemoglobin level >2 or leading to transfusion of 2+ units of packed red blood cells. Results: During the study period, 27 cirrhotic patients were prescribed a DOAC and 18 were prescribed a traditional anticoagulant (either LMWH or warfarin). Both groups had similar total bleeding events (8 DOAC vs. 10 traditional anticoagulation, p = 0.12). There were significantly less major bleeding episodes in the DOAC group, (1 (4%) vs. 5 (28%), p = 0.03) and less intracranial bleeding (3 (17% ) vs. 0 (0%) p=0.06). Recurrent thrombosis or stroke occurred in 1 (4%) patient in the DOAC group and 1 (6%) patient in the traditional group (p = 1.0). Conclusions: Anticoagulation with DOACs in cirrhotic patients may be as safe as traditional anticoagulants with respect to bleeding events. Patients with cirrhosis at our center prescribed DOACs had less major bleeding events, while maintaining efficacy at preventing stroke or recurrent thrombosis. Table Table. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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