The 2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines for the diagnosis and management of heart failure update: Heart failure in ethnic minority populations, heart failure and pregnancy, disease management, and quality improvement/assurance programs

Since 2006, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society heart failure (HF) guidelines have published annual focused updates for cardiovascular care providers. The 2010 Canadian Cardiovascular Society HF guidelines update focuses on an increasing issue in the western world - HF in ethnic minorities - and in an uncommon but important setting - the pregnant patient. Additionally, due to increasing attention recently given to the assessment of how care is delivered and measured, two critically important topics - disease management programs in HF and quality assurance - have been included. Both of these topics were written from a clinical perspective. It is hoped that the present update will become a useful tool for health care providers and planners in the ongoing evolution of care for HF patients in Canada. © 2010 Pulsus Group Inc. All rights reserved

Utilization of Dabigatran for Atrial Fibrillation at 3 Tertiary Care Centres

ABSTRACTBackground: The outpatient management of stroke prevention for patients with atrial fibrillation has recently been published and provides insight into the benefits and risks of the new direct-acting oral anti -coagulants. However, real-world use of these agents for hospital inpatients requires additional study.Objective: To determine prescribing patterns for dabigatran at 3 Canadian hospitals, specifically adherence with the hospitals’ prescribing restriction limiting dabigatran to patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and creatinine clearance above 30 mL/min (primary outcome) and assessment of age-related prescribing, prescribing of medications with defined contraindications or potential for interaction when given concurrently with dabigatran, and use of risk stratification tools (secondary outcomes).Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients for whom dabigatran was prescribed from August to October 2011 was performed at 3 hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. Descriptive statistics were used for all outcomes assessed.Results: Overall, dabigatran was prescribed for 69 inpatients, of whom 16 (23%) were new users (dabigatran initiated during hospital admission) and 53 (77%) were prior users (dabigatran prescribed before admission to hospital). Fifty-eight patients (84%; 14 new users and 44 prior users) received dabigatran according to the hospitals’ prescribing restriction. For the remaining 11 patients, dabigatran therapy did not meet prescribing restrictions for use because of valvular disease or presence of prosthetic valve (10 patients [14% of the total sample]) and impaired renal function (1 patient [1%]). Among those whose dabigatran therapy met the prescribing restrictions for use, amiodarone and acetylsalicylic acid were the most common concurrently prescribed medications (17 patients [29%] and 14 patients [24%], respectively). Stroke and bleeding risk were documented for only 27 patients (47%) and 10 patients (17%), respectively.Conclusion: At the study hospitals, dabigatran was appropriately prescribed for the indication of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in patients without renal impairment in most cases. However, greater consideration of cardiac history including valvular disease and presence of prosthetic valves), drug interactions, and documentation of risks and benefits is warranted. These research findings highlight the importance of and opportunity for pharmacist review and involvement in assessment and selection of patients with indications for anticoagulant therapy, particularly when agents are new to the market.RÉSUMÉContexte : La publication récente sur la prévention des accidents vasculaires cérébraux (AVC) chez les patients externes atteints de fibrillation auriculaire permet de mieux comprendre les avantages et les risques des nouveaux anticoagulants oraux directs. Cependant, il est nécessaire de faire de plus amples études sur l’utilisation de ces agents en situation réelle chez les patients hospitalisés.Objectif : Déterminer les habitudes de prescription de dabigatran dans trois hôpitaux canadiens, particulièrement en ce qui a trait au respect des restrictions de prescription en vigueur dans les hôpitaux qui limitent le dabigatran aux patients souffrants de fibrillation auriculaire non valvulaire et présentant une clairance de la créatinine supérieure à 30 mL/min (principal paramètre d’évaluation) et à l’évaluation de la prescription en fonction de l’âge du patient, de la prescription de médicaments avec des contre-indications précises ou un potentiel d’interactions médicamenteuses lorsqu’ils sont administrés en concomitance avec du dabigatran et de l’emploi d’outils de stratification du risque (paramètres d’évaluation secondaires).Méthodes : Une analyse rétrospective des dossiers médicaux des patients à qui on avait prescrit du dabigatran entre août et octobre 2011 a été menée dans trois centres hospitaliers de Toronto en Ontario. Des statistiques descriptives ont été employées pour tous les paramètres analysés. Résultats : Dans l’ensemble, on a prescrit du dabigatran à 69 patients hospitalisés. Parmi eux, 16 (23 %) n’en avaient jamais reçu (traitement amorcé pendant l’hospitalisation) et 53 (77 %) en avaient déjà reçu (dabigatran prescrit avant l’hospitalisation). Cinquante-huit patients (84 %; 14 n’en ayant jamais reçu et 44 en ayant déjà reçu) ont reçu du dabigatran selon les restrictions de prescription en vigueur dans les hôpitaux. Pour les 11 patients restants, le traitement par dabigatran ne répondait pas aux restrictions d’utilisation pour cause de valvulopathie ou de présence d’une prothèse valvulaire (10 patients [14 % de l’échantillon total]) ou d’insuffisance rénale (1 patient [1 %]). Au sein du groupe de patients pour lesquels les restrictions d’utilisation ont été respectées,l’amiodarone et l’acide acétylsalicylique étaient les médicaments les plus souvent coprescrits (respectivement, 17 patients [29 %] et 14 patients [24 %]). Le risque d’AVC et d’hémorragie n’était consigné respectivement que pour 27 patients (47 %) et 10 patients (17 %).Conclusion : Dans les hôpitaux de l’étude, le dabigatran était habituellement prescrit de façon appropriée pour l’indication de fibrillation auricu - laire non valvulaire chez des patients ne présentant pas d’insuffisance rénale. Cependant, il est justifié de tenir davantage compte des antécédents cardiaques (notamment les valvulopathies et la présence de prothèses valvulaire), des interactions médicamenteuses ainsi que de la consignation des risques et des avantages. Ces données mettent en relief l’importance et la possibilité de la participation du pharmacien à l’évaluation et à la sélection des patients ayant des indications pour un traitement par anticoagulant ainsi que de son analyse de ces cas, particulièrement lorsque les médicaments sont nouveaux sur le marché

Choosing Wisely: A Retrospective Review of Benzodiazepine/Sedative-Hypnotic Prescribing Practices in Geriatric Patients at an Academic Family Health Team

Pharmacy residents have the opportunity to complete a research project during their residency training, which provides them with skills on how to conduct and manage a research project. Projects often represent an area of interest and need that has been recognized by the host institution’s pharmacy department. Projects are presented as a poster at an annual CSHP Ontario Branch Residency Research Night, and many eventually go on to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.Background: Choosing Wisely Canada aims to reduce unnecessary or potentially harmful tests and treatments. Their list of recommendations for elderly patients, written in collaboration with the Canadian Geriatric Society, states: “Don’t use benzodiazepines or sedative-hypnotics in older adults as first choice for insomnia, agitation, or delirium.” Objective: To determine the concordance between this Choosing Wisely recommendation and the prescribing practices at an academic Family Health Team (FHT). Concordance was defined as the recommendation of non-pharmacologic intervention prior to initiation of a benzodiazepine or sedative-hypnotic (BSH). The secondary objectives were to characterize the prescribing of BSH in elderly patients and assess the rate of adverse events. Methods: A retrospective chart review of active rostered patients at the FHT was undertaken. Patients ≥65 years of age who received a prescription for a benzodiazepine, zopiclone, zolpidem, trazodone, or quetiapine during the period of January 1st 2017 to December 31st 2018 were included. One hundred charts were randomly selected for review. Prescriptions indicated for insomnia, agitation, or delirium were included in the concordance assessment. Results: Of 100 charts, 120 BSH were prescribed during the study period. Of all drugs prescribed for insomnia, agitation, or delirium (n=67), 43% were determined to be concordant with the Choosing Wisely recommendation. The most prescribed BSH for these indications was zopiclone (55%). Benzodiazepines were the most frequently discordant drugs. Thirteen patients had an emergency department visit for a fall or fracture, and 50 patients experienced a fall or near-fall after the first prescription in the study period. Conclusions: Among patients prescribed a BSH for insomnia, agitation, or delirium, less than half were concordant with the Choosing Wisely recommendation, highlighting that there is an opportunity for improvement in the prescribing of BSH in primary care

Improving stroke prevention therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation in primary care: protocol for a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial

Abstract Background The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is growing as the population ages, and at least 15% of ischemic strokes are attributed to AF. However, many high-risk AF patients are not offered guideline-recommended stroke prevention therapy due to a variety of system, provider, and patient-level barriers. Methods We will conduct a pragmatic, cluster-randomized controlled trial randomizing primary care clinics to test a “toolkit” of quality improvement interventions in primary care. In keeping with the recommendations of the chronic care model to simultaneously activate patients and facilitate proactive care by providers, the toolkit includes provider-focused strategies (education, audit and feedback, electronic decision support, and reminders) plus patient-directed strategies (educational letters and reminders). The trial will include two feedback cycles at baseline and approximately 6 months and a final data collection at approximately 12 months. The study will be powered to show a difference of 10% in the primary outcome of proportion of patients receiving guideline-recommended stroke prevention therapy. Analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle and will be blind to treatment allocation. Unit of analysis will be the patient; models will use generalized estimating equations to account for clustering at the clinical level. Discussion Stroke prevention therapy using anticoagulation in patients with AF is known to reduce strokes by two thirds or more in clinical trials, but most studies indicate under-use of this treatment in real-world practice. If the toolkit successfully improves care for patients with AF, stakeholders will be engaged to facilitate broader application to maximize the potential to improve patient outcomes. The intervention toolkit tested in this project could also provide a model to improve quality of care for other chronic cardiovascular conditions managed in primary care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT01927445 ). Registered August 14, 2014 at https://clinicaltrials.gov/

Experiences of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation With Combination Antithrombotic Therapy Post–Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: Up to 30% of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have coronary artery disease, and many undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In the setting of acute coronary syndrome with PCI, or high-risk elective PCI, Canadian AF guidelines recommend 1-30 days of acetylsalicylic acid, 1-12 months of clopidogrel, and oral anticoagulation (OAC) with doses that may change throughout the 12 months post-PCI. The complexity of these regimens may contribute to unplanned modifications (UPMs), increasing the risk of thrombosis and/or bleeding. We describe what happens to these patients and their antithrombotic therapy (ATT) after discharge. Methods: Prospective follow-up was conducted of patients with AF requiring OAC who underwent PCI and were discharged on combination ATT. Patients were contacted at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-PCI. Results: Sixty-five patients were enrolled, with data at any time point available for 61 of them (94%). Of these, 44 (68%) experienced at least one UPM to ATT. In total, 105 UPMs occurred. The most common UPM was an extended duration of P2Y12 inhibitor (23 instances; 22%). The most common UPM with acetylsalicylic acid was extended (11 instances; 11%) or shortened (11 instances; 11%) duration. Thirty-nine UPMs (37%) were related to OACs; 9 (23%) were related to warfarin, and 30 (77%) were related to direct OACs. Of all patients with at least one UPM, 33 (75%) experienced bleeding. Conclusions: More than 2 in 3 patients with AF undergoing PCI experienced a UPM to their ATT. This study underscores the challenges of combination ATT for patients and clinicians alike, emphasizing the need for patient support after discharge. Résumé: Contexte: Jusqu’à 30 % des patients atteints de fibrillation auriculaire (FA) ont une coronaropathie, et nombre d’entre eux doivent subir une intervention coronarienne percutanée (ICP). En présence d’un syndrome coronarien aigu nécessitant une ICP ou dans le cas d’une ICP non urgente associée à un risque élevé, on recommande, dans les lignes directrices canadiennes sur la FA, un traitement de 1 à 30 jours par l’acide acétylsalicylique, de 1 à 12 mois par le clopidogrel, et une anticoagulothérapie orale (ACO) à des doses pouvant varier durant les 12 mois suivant l’ICP. La complexité de ces schémas posologiques peut contribuer à des modifications non planifiées (MNP) du traitement, ce qui accroît le risque de thrombose et/ou de saignement. Nous décrivons ce qui advient de ces patients et de leur traitement antithrombotique (TAT) après le congé de l’hôpital. Méthodologie: Un suivi prospectif a été réalisé chez des patients atteints de FA nécessitant une ACO, ayant subi une ICP et recevant un TAT lors de leur congé de l’hôpital. Les patients ont été contactés 1, 3, 6 et 12 mois après leur ICP. Résultats: Parmi les soixante-cinq patients inscrits, des données ont été obtenues pour 61 d’entre eux (94 %) à un moment ou à un autre. Au moins une MNP du TAT a eu lieu chez 44 (68 %) de ces 61 patients, pour un total de 105 MNP. La MNP la plus fréquente était la prolongation de la durée du traitement par un inhibiteur du P2Y12 (23 cas, soit 22 %). La MNP la plus fréquente du traitement par l’acide acétylsalicylique était la prolongation (11 cas, soit 11 %) ou le raccourcissement (11 cas, soit 11 %) de la durée du traitement. Au total, 39 MNP (37 %) étaient liées à des anticoagulants oraux, 9 (23 %) à la warfarine et 30 (77 %) à des anticoagulants oraux directs. Sur l’ensemble des patients ayant fait l’objet d’au moins une MNP, 33 (75 %) ont subi un saignement. Conclusions: Une MNP du TAT a eu lieu chez plus des deux tiers des patients atteints de FA ayant subi une ICP. Cette étude souligne les difficultés que pose un TAT d’association, tant pour les patients que pour les médecins, ce qui met en évidence la nécessité d’accompagner les patients après leur congé de l’hôpital