Anticoagulation in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: Old or New Friends?

M.-A. Gaman¹, E.-C. Dobrica², M.-A. Cozma², C.C. Diaconu³

¹'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Center of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania, ²'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania, ³'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Internal Medicine Clinic, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Internal Medicine Dept., Bucharest, Romania

Abstract Number: PB2055

Meeting: ISTH 2020 Congress

Theme: Venous Thromboembolism and Cardioembolism » Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Chronic anticoagulation is recommended in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score ≥2. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have changed tremendously the management of AF and begin to steadily replace vitamin K antagonists (VKA).

Aims: To investigate the prescription patterns of DOAC and VKA in AF patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical charts of AF patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Clinic, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Romania, during two months in 2018. Written informed consent was collected from all subjects. The hospital’s ethics council approved the study (approval number 4263/13.05.2019). We respected the regulations of the national law and Helsinki Declaration (1975, revised in 5/2008).

Results: We recruited 31 AF patients (mean age=76.72±7.87 years): 16 males (51.61%) and 15 males (48.39%). All patients had a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score ≥2 and were on long term anticoagulation. DOAC were just slightly chosen over VKA to anticoagulate AF patients (51.61% vs. 48.39%). Acenocoumarol was the most common anticoagulant prescribed (n=15, 48.39%), followed by apixaban (n=9, 29.03%) and dabigatran (n=7, 22.58%). There were no differences in terms of age between patients who received acenocoumarol vs. dabigatran (mean age: 75.40±7.57 vs. 78.11±6.94, P=0.3907) or vs. apixaban (mean age: 75.40±7.57 vs. 78.43±5.80, P=0.3614) or dabigatran vs. apixaban (mean age: 78.11±6.94 vs. 78.43±5.80, P=0.9239). Also, we found no differences in terms of mean number of comorbidities in patients receiving acenocoumarol vs. dabigatran (11.38±2.94 vs. 12.11±4.08, P=0.6061) or apixaban (11.38±2.94 vs. 9.14±1.95, P=0.0819), or dabigatran vs. apixaban (12.11±4.08 vs. 9.14±1.95, P=0.0992). Also, we found no differences in terms of sex (male vs. female) in the prescription patterns of acenocoumarol (P=0.4795), dabigatran (P=0.22), apixaban (P=1.000) or VKA vs. DOAC (P=0.4795).

Conclusions: The popularity of DOAC is increasing in Romania, with more AF patients receiving DOAC vs. VKA.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Gaman M-, Dobrica E-, Cozma M-, Diaconu CC. Anticoagulation in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: Old or New Friends? [abstract]. Res Pract Thromb Haemost. 2020; 4 (Suppl 1). https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/anticoagulation-in-non-valvular-atrial-fibrillation-old-or-new-friends/. Accessed January 28, 2022.

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