Multicenter experience with photoselective vaporization of the prostate on men taking novel oral anticoagulants

Objective:Photoselective vaporization of the prostate(PVP)is a widely performed surgical procedure for benign prostatic obstruction.This approach has become particular favoured for men on anti-platelet and anticoagulation agents such as clopidogrel and warfarin but there is minimal published experience in the setting of novel oral anticoagulants(NOACs).This study was to examine the perioperative outcomes in men on NOACs undergoing PVP,with particular reference to perioperative morbidity.Methods:A retrospective analysis of PVP datasets was undertaken from three centres in Sydney(Australia),Toulouse(France)and Boston(USA).Subjects who had been treated whilst on NOACs without discontinuation or bridging were identified.Perioperative outcomes and treatment parameters were examined and morbidity recorded according to Clavien-Dindo(CD)classification.Results:There were a total of 20 subjects who had undergone PVP whilst NOACs had been continued during the perioperative period.The mean age was 776.5 years.The mean prostate volume,energy utilization and vaporisation time was 9456 mL,301211 kJ,and 3521 min respectively.The mean postoperative duration of catheterization and duration of hospitalization was 2.22.4 days and 2.42.4 days respectively.There was a single episode of urinary tract infection and four subjects required re-catheterisation for non-hematuric retentions.Conclusions:This study supports the safety of men on NOACs undergoing PVP.Whilst this study represents the largest experience of PVP in these men,larger studies are necessary to confirm the safety of PVP in this group of men undergoing BPH-related surgery.

Compliance and adherence to oral anticoagulation therapy in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation in the era of direct oral anticoagulants

Thromboembolic complications represent a substantial problem in patients with atrial fibrillation （AF）. The prevalence of AF burden and associated arterial and venous thrombosis progressively increases with age. At the same time, representative national data regarding stroke incidence in AF patients aged 80 and older are limited.

Efficacy and safety of novel anticoagulants in the elderly

Atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism （VTE） are common disorders associated with maleficent thrombotic events, particularly in the elderly patients. Polypharmacy, co-morbidities, and altered pharmacokinetics, often present in these patients, render the use of antico-agulants quite challenging. Novel oral anticoagulants （NOACs） have recently emerged as alternatives to Vitamin K Antagonists （VKAs） and are gradually increasing their popularity mainly because of their fewer drug and food interactions and ease of use. Their effectiveness and safety has been weU-established in the general population but the balance between benefit and harm in the elderly is still unclear. Routine use in these patients is uncommon. Accumulating data have shown that the benefit of NOACs is consistent among all age groups, featuring equal or greater efficacy in preventing thrombotic events. Excess bleedings were lower with NOACs in comparison to VKAs, but bleeding patterns were disparate among them and head to head comparison is not available. The present review highlights on the efficacy and safety of novel anticoagulants in the elderly population.

Liver injury from direct oral anticoagulants

BACKGROUND Drug-induced liver injury(DILI)can be caused by any prescribed drug and is a significant reason for the withdrawal of newly launched drugs.Direct-acting oral anticoagulants(DOACs)are non-vitamin K-based antagonists recently introduced and increasingly used for various clinical conditions.A meta-analysis of 29 randomised controlled trials and 152116 patients reported no increased risk of DILI with DOACs.However,it is challenging to predict the risk factors for DILI in individual patients with exclusion of patients with pre-existing liver disease from these studies.AIM To determine the risk factors and outcomes of patients who developed DILI secondary to DOACs by systematic review and meta-summary of recent case reports and series.METHODS A systematic search was conducted on multiple databases including PubMed,Science Direct,Reference Citation Analysis,and Google Scholar.The search terms included“Acute Liver Failure”OR“Acute-On-Chronic Liver Failure”OR“Acute Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury”OR“Chronic Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury”AND“Factor Xa Inhibitors”OR“Dabigatran”OR“Rivaroxaban”OR“apixaban”OR“betrixaban”OR“edoxaban”OR“Otamixaban”.The results were filtered for literature published in English and on adult patients.Only case reports and case studies reporting cases of DILI secondary to DOACs were included.Data on demographics,comorbidities,medication history,laboratory investigations,imaging,histology,management,and outcomes were extracted.RESULTS A total of 15 studies(13 case reports and 2 case series)were included in the analysis,comprising 27 patients who developed DILI secondary to DOACs.Rivaroxaban was the most commonly implicated DOAC(n=20,74.1%).The mean time to onset of DILI was 40.6 d.The most common symptoms were jaundice(n=15,55.6%),malaise(n=9,33.3%),and vomiting(n=9,33.3%).Laboratory investigations showed elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin levels.Imaging studies and liver biopsies revealed features of acute hepatitis and cholestatic injury.Most patients had a favourable outcome,and only 1 patient(3.7%)died due to liver failure.CONCLUSION DOACs are increasingly used for various clinical conditions,and DILI secondary to DOACs is a rare but potentially serious complication.Prompt identification and cessation of the offending drug are crucial for the management of DILI.Most patients with DILI secondary to DOACs have a favourable outcome,but a small proportion may progress to liver failure and death.Further research,including post-marketing population-based studies,is needed to better understand the incidence and risk factors for DILI secondary to DOACs.

Dabigatran,rivaroxaban,and apixaban are superior to warfarin in Asian patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation:An updated metaanalysis

BACKGROUND Most of the randomized clinical trials that led to the wide use of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF)originated from western countries.AIM To systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the real-world data regarding the efficacy and safety of dabigatran,rivaroxaban,and apixaban compared to warfarin for stroke prevention in Asian patients with non-valvular AF.METHODS Medline,Cochrane,and ClinicalTrial.gov databases were reviewed.A randomeffect model meta-analysis was used and I-square was utilized to assess the heterogeneity.The primary outcome was ischemic stroke.The secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality,major bleeding,intracranial hemorrhage,and gastrointestinal bleeding.RESULTS Twelve studies from East Asia or Southeast Asia and 441450 patients were included.Dabigatran,rivaroxaban,and apixaban were associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of ischemic stroke[hazard ratio(HR)=0.78,95%confidence interval(CI):0.65-0.94;HR=0.79,95%CI:0.74-0.85,HR=0.70,95%CI:0.62-0.78;respectively],all-cause mortality(HR=0.68,95%CI:0.56-0.83;HR=0.66,95%CI:0.52-0.84;HR=0.66,95%CI:0.49-0.90;respectively),and major bleeding(HR=0.61,95%CI:0.54-0.69;HR=0.70,95%CI:0.54-0.90;HR=0.58,95%CI:0.43-0.78;respectively)compared to warfarin.CONCLUSION Dabigatran,rivaroxaban,and apixaban appear to be superior to warfarin in both efficacy and safety in Asians with non-valvular AF.

Does novel oral anticoagulant improve anticoagulation for non-valvular atrial fibrillation associated stroke: An inpatient registration study in Shanghai

Objective:To summarize the use rate,safety,efficacy of antithrombotics in stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) prevention,and reasons for not using dabigatran etexilate (DE) in Shanghai,China.Methods:Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF)-associated stroke patients were prospectively registered as an electronic database.Use rate of antithrombofics and reasons for not using DE were extracted during follow-up.Patients' baseline characteristics,recurrent ischemic stroke/TIA events and bleeding complications were analyzed.Patients:From April 2012 to August 2014,110 inpatients with NVAF-associated stroke were studied in our hospital.NVAF was diagnosed by 12-lead electrocardiogram,24 h Holter and echocardiography.Results:Before introduction of DE (April 2013),use rates of warfarin and antiplatelets were 28.9％ (11/38) and 60.5％ (23/38)respectively; after that,use rates of warfarin,DE,and antiplatelets were 20.8％ (15/72),12.5％ (9/72),and 43.1％ (31/72).The DE did not improve use of anticoagulants (P =0.639).There were 19 (17.3％) recurrent ischemic stroke events up to October 2015; two (9.5％) in the non-user group,10 (18.5％) in the antiplatelet group,and seven (20.0％) in the anticoagulants group (P =0.570).Furthermore,recurrence rates were similar between the DE group (20.0％) and the Warfarin group (20.0％,P =1.000).The most common reason for not using DE was financial concerns (61.0％),followed by inconvenience to purchase (14.0％) and hemorrhage concerns (11.0％).Two patients using warfarin found fecal occult blood so they stopped warfarin and began to use antiplatelet drugs.No bleeding event occurred in the other groups.Only one patient had side effects (dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux)from DE.Conclusion:The use rate of either DE or warfarin in Shanghai was low; DE had not improved anticoagulation therapy for NVAF patients in Shanghai mainly because DE had not been covered by health insurance.