COVID-19-associated coagulopathy and antithrombotic agents—lessons after 1 year

COVID-19 is associated with a high incidence of thrombotic complications, which can be explained by the complex and unique interplay between coronaviruses and endothelial cells, the local and systemic inflammatory response, and the coagulation system. Empirically, an intensified dose of thrombosis prophylaxis is being used in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and several guidelines on this topic have been published, although the insufficiency of high quality and direct evidence has led to weak recommendations. In this Viewpoint we summarise the pathophysiology of COVID-19 coagulopathy in the context of patients who are ambulant, admitted to hospital, and critically ill or non-critically ill, and those post-discharge from hospital. We also review data from randomised controlled trials in the past year of antithrombotic therapy in patients who are critically ill. These data provide the first high-quality evidence on optimal use of antithrombotic therapy in patients with COVID-19. Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis is not routinely recommended for patients who are ambulant and post-discharge. A first ever trial in non-critically ill patients who were admitted to hospital has shown that a therapeutic dose of low-molecular-weight heparin might improve clinical outcomes in this population. In critically ill patients, this same treatment does not improve outcomes and prophylactic dose anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis is recommended. In the upcoming months we expect numerous data from the ongoing antithrombotic COVID-19 studies to guide clinicians at different stages of the disease.http://www.thelancet.com/haematologyam2022Medical Oncolog

The Paediatric Haemophilia Activities List (pedHAL) in routine assessment : changes over time, child-parent agreement and informative domains

Introduction: The Paediatric Haemophilia Activities List (pedHAL) assesses self-reported limitations in activities and participation in children with haemophilia. Aim: To assess longitudinal changes, child-parent agreement and to identify which pedHAL domains yielded most information in boys with access to early prophylaxis. Methods: The pedHAL (53 items, 7 domains, optimum 100) was completed annually at the Van Creveldkliniek by boys aged 4-18 years with moderate/severe haemophilia and their parents. Development of the pedHAL in relation to bleeds, changes per domain over 3-5 years, child-parent agreement (% difference child-parent≤|5|) per domain and domain scores (limitations defined as ≤ 95) were determined. Results: Seventy-three patients and their parents (92% severe haemophilia, median age 13.1 years [range 5.4;18.0]) completed ≥1 pedHAL. Median (IQR) pedHAL sum score was 99.5 (95.2;100.0) for children and 99.6 (95.8;100.0) for parents. If patients scored >95 and had no joint and/or muscle bleed, 90.9% of the patients scored >95 at the next assessment. The median change in sum score was 0.0 for both the 3- and 5-year interval. Child-parent agreement varied between domains from 92% (‘self-care’) to 71% (‘sitting/kneeling/standing’). Most limitations were reported in the domains ‘sitting/kneeling/standing’, ‘functions of the legs’ and ‘leisure activities and sports.’. Conclusion: In routine clinical practice in Dutch children on prophylaxis, pedHAL scores were high and remained stable in 3-5 years at group level. In individual patients without joint and/or muscle bleeds, pedHAL scores remained high after 1 year. Child-parent agreement was not optimal which indicated that both child report and parent proxy should be reported

The Paediatric Haemophilia Activities List (pedHAL) in routine assessment : changes over time, child-parent agreement and informative domains

Introduction: The Paediatric Haemophilia Activities List (pedHAL) assesses self-reported limitations in activities and participation in children with haemophilia. Aim: To assess longitudinal changes, child-parent agreement and to identify which pedHAL domains yielded most information in boys with access to early prophylaxis. Methods: The pedHAL (53 items, 7 domains, optimum 100) was completed annually at the Van Creveldkliniek by boys aged 4-18 years with moderate/severe haemophilia and their parents. Development of the pedHAL in relation to bleeds, changes per domain over 3-5 years, child-parent agreement (% difference child-parent≤|5|) per domain and domain scores (limitations defined as ≤ 95) were determined. Results: Seventy-three patients and their parents (92% severe haemophilia, median age 13.1 years [range 5.4;18.0]) completed ≥1 pedHAL. Median (IQR) pedHAL sum score was 99.5 (95.2;100.0) for children and 99.6 (95.8;100.0) for parents. If patients scored >95 and had no joint and/or muscle bleed, 90.9% of the patients scored >95 at the next assessment. The median change in sum score was 0.0 for both the 3- and 5-year interval. Child-parent agreement varied between domains from 92% (‘self-care’) to 71% (‘sitting/kneeling/standing’). Most limitations were reported in the domains ‘sitting/kneeling/standing’, ‘functions of the legs’ and ‘leisure activities and sports.’. Conclusion: In routine clinical practice in Dutch children on prophylaxis, pedHAL scores were high and remained stable in 3-5 years at group level. In individual patients without joint and/or muscle bleeds, pedHAL scores remained high after 1 year. Child-parent agreement was not optimal which indicated that both child report and parent proxy should be reported

Antifibrinolytic therapy for preventing oral bleeding in people on anticoagulants undergoing minor oral surgery or dental extractions

Background: Individuals on continuous treatment with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are at increased risk of bleeding complications during and after oral or dental procedures. Anticoagulant treatment is preferably continued at the same dose, since dose reduction or discontinuation of treatment is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism. The use of haemostatic measures during or after the procedure (or both) could enable continuation of the oral anticoagulant treatment. Objectives: We aimed to assess the efficacy of antifibrinolytic agents for preventing bleeding complications in people on oral anticoagulants undergoing minor oral surgery or dental extractions. Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Coagulopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and reviews. We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Additional searches were performed using ClinicalTrials.gov, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), the CINAHL database of nursing and allied health services, the open access ProQuest dissertation database, papers and reports from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and abstract books from annual scientific conferences. Date of last search: 04 January 2018. Selection criteria: Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials in people on continuous treatment with VKAs or DOACs undergoing oral or dental procedures using antifibrinolytic agents (tranexamic acid (TXA) or epsilon aminocaproic acid) to prevent perioperative bleeding compared to no intervention or usual care with or without placebo. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts of all identified articles. Full texts were obtained from potentially relevant abstracts and two authors independently assessed these for inclusion based of the selection criteria. A third author verified trial eligibility. Two authors independently performed data extraction and risk of bias assessments using standardized forms. The quality of the evidence was assessed using GRADE. Main results: No eligible trials in people on continuous treatment with DOACs undergoing oral or dental procedures were identified. Three randomised trials and one quasi-randomised trial (follow-up in all was seven days) in people on continuous treatment with VKAs were included with a total of 253 participants (mean age 60 years). Two trials published in 1989 and 1993 compared the antifibrinolytic agent TXA with placebo in people using VKAs. Two other trials were published in 1999 and 2015 and compared TXA with gelatin sponge and sutures, and dry gauze compression, respectively. In all included trials, those who were treated with VKAs had international normalised ratio (INR) values within the therapeutic range and TXA was applied locally, not systemically. The two trials from 1989 and 1993 comparing TXA with placebo showed a statistically significant beneficial effect regarding the number of major postoperative bleeding episodes requiring intervention, with a pooled risk difference (RD) of -0.25 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.36 to -0.14) (128 participants) (moderate-quality evidence). For the two trials that compared TXA with either gelatin sponge and sutures or with dry gauze compression, there was no difference between the TXA and the standard care group, RD 0.02 (95% CI -0.07 to 0.11) (125 participants) (moderate-quality evidence). The combined RD of all included trials was -0.13 (95% CI -0.30 to 0.05) (moderate-quality evidence). There were no side effects of antifibrinolytic therapy that required treatment withdrawal (128 participants) (moderate-quality evidence). Despite heterogeneity between trials with respect to the different haemostatic measures used in the control groups, the trials were comparable regarding design and baseline participant characteristics. Overall, we considered the risk of bias to be low in the trials comparing TXA with placebo and moderate in the trials comparing TXA with alternative haemostatic measures. Authors' conclusions: Based on the results of this Cochrane Review, there seems to be a beneficial effect of locally applied TXA in preventing oral bleeding in people on continuous treatment with VKAs undergoing minor oral surgery or dental extractions. However, the small number of identified randomised controlled trials, the relatively small number of participants included in the trials and the differences in standard therapy and treatment regimens between trials, do not allow us to conclude definite efficacy of antifibrinolytic therapy in this population. We were unable to identify any eligible trials in people on continuous treatment with DOACs undergoing oral or dental procedures. Therefore, a beneficial effect of antifibrinolytic therapy can currently only be assumed based on data from the people using VKAs

Surgical Experience from the STASEY Study of Emicizumab Prophylaxis in People with Hemophilia A with Factor VIII Inhibitors

Background Guidelines surrounding emicizumab prophylaxis and perioperative treatment for people with hemophilia A (PwHA) with factor (F)VIII inhibitors undergoing surgeries are limited. The phase IIIb multicenter, single-arm STASEY study evaluated safety and tolerability of emicizumab prophylaxis in PwHA aged ≥12 years with FVIII inhibitors. This analysis assesses surgeries during study conduct, associated hemophilia medications, and postoperative bleeds (treated and untreated)

Bleeding severity in patients with rare bleeding disorders: real-life data from the RBiN study

Contains fulltext : 226198.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access

Adherence to prophylaxis and its association with activation of self-management and treatment satisfaction

Introduction: Prophylactic replacement therapy (prophylaxis) in patients with haemophilia (PWH) requires lifelong, frequent (self)infusions. Prophylaxis effectiveness depends on adherence, and the drivers of treatment adherence among PWH are unclear. Aim: To quantify prophylaxis adherence and associations between adherence and patients’ treatment attitudes and satisfaction in a large cohort of children and adults with haemophilia. Methods: In a nationwide, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study, PWH with complete information currently using prophylaxis were selected. Validated Hemophilia Regimen Treatment Adherence Scale-Prophylaxis (VERITAS-Pro; normalised score range: 0–100, optimum 0) measured treatment adherence; the Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13; total score range 0–100, optimum 100) measured activation of self-management; Hemophilia Patient Satisfaction Scale (Hemo-Sat; range 0–100, optimum 0) measured treatment satisfaction. Groups were compared according to age (children: 18 years) and adherence levels using non-parametric tests, and correlations were assessed using Spearman's rho. Results: Among 321 participants (median age 33 years, interquartile range [IQR]:15–54 years), adherence was high (median VERITAS-Pro total score 17, 89% adherent) but worsened with age, with median scores of 5, 14 and 20 in children, adolescents, adults, respectively (p <.001). Attitudes towards treatment (median 66 vs. 68) participants and treatment satisfaction (12 vs. 10) were similar between adherent and non-adherent patients. The VERITAS-Pro total score was moderately correlated with PAM-13 (r =.41) but not with Hemo-Sat (r = −.11). Discussion: Prophylaxis adherence was high (89%) but decreased significantly with age and was not correlated with treatment attitude or treatment satisfaction