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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
Results
1 to 18 of 18 Research Studies Displayed
Reese TJ, Del Fiol G, Morgan K
A shared decision-making tool for drug interactions between warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: design and usability study.
Exposure to life-threatening drug-drug interactions (DDIs) occurs despite the widespread use of clinical decision support. The DDI between warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is common and potentially life-threatening. Patients can play a substantial role in preventing harm from DDIs; however, the current model for DDI decision-making is clinician centric. This study aimed to design and examine the usability of DDInteract, a tool to support shared decision-making (SDM) between a patient and provider for the DDI between warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026198.
Citation:
Reese TJ, Del Fiol G, Morgan K .
A shared decision-making tool for drug interactions between warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: design and usability study.
JMIR Hum Factors 2021 Oct 26;8(4):e28618. doi: 10.2196/28618..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication: Safety, Medication, Clinical Decision Support (CDS), Decision Making, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety
Feng Y, Pai CW, Seiler K
Adverse outcomes associated with inappropriate direct oral anticoagulant starter pack prescription among patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective claims-based study.
This retrospective analysis investigated the risk for bleeding events with higher dosing of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) in the first 1-3 weeks of treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Findings showed that patients who received an inappropriate DOAC prescription were more likely to identify as Black. Rates of ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths overall were numerically lower in patients with starter pack DOAC prescriptions. In contrast, rates of ED visits and hospitalizations related to significant bleeding were numerically higher in patients with starter pack DOAC prescriptions. Among patients with AF but without acute venous thromboembolism, those who received an inappropriate DOAC starter pack had numerically higher rates of severe bleeding leading to ED visits and hospitalizations compared to those prescribed an appropriate non-starter pack DOAC anticoagulant.
AHRQ-funded; HS026874.
Citation:
Feng Y, Pai CW, Seiler K .
Adverse outcomes associated with inappropriate direct oral anticoagulant starter pack prescription among patients with atrial fibrillation: a retrospective claims-based study.
J Thromb Thrombolysis 2021 May;51(4):1144-49. doi: 10.1007/s11239-020-02358-3..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Medical Errors, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions
Herrin J, Abraham NS, Yao X
Comparative effectiveness of machine learning approaches for predicting gastrointestinal bleeds in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.
The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to compare the performance of 3 machine learning approaches with the commonly-used HAS-BLED (hypertension, abnormal kidney and liver function, stroke, bleeding, labile international normalized ratio, older age, and drug or alcohol use) risk score in predicting antithrombotic-related gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). The machine-learning models were regularized Cox proportional hazards regression (RegCox), random survival forests, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). Findings showed that the machine learning models revealed similar performance in identifying patients at high risk for GIB after being prescribed antithrombotic agents. Two models (RegCox and XGBoost) performed modestly better than the HAS-BLED score.
AHRQ-funded; HS025402.
Citation:
Herrin J, Abraham NS, Yao X .
Comparative effectiveness of machine learning approaches for predicting gastrointestinal bleeds in patients receiving antithrombotic treatment.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 May;4(5):e2110703. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.10703..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Risk, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Comparative Effectiveness
Barnes GD
Combining antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in cardiovascular disease.
The author describes results of a number of randomized clinical trials that have explored different combinations of anticoagulation plus antiplatelet agents aimed at minimizing bleeding risk while preserving low thrombotic event rates. Findings include shorter courses with fewer antithrombotic agents as being effective, particularly when direct oral anticoagulants are combined with clopidogrel. Combined use of very low-dose rivaroxaban plus aspirin also demonstrated benefit in atherosclerotic diseases, including coronary and peripheral artery disease. Use of proton pump inhibitor therapy while patients were taking multiple antithrombotic agents had the potential to further reduce upper gastrointestinal bleeding risk in select populations. The author recommends that applying this evidence to patients with multiple thrombotic conditions will help to avoid costly and life-threatening adverse medication events.
AHRQ-funded; HS026874; HS026322.
Citation:
Barnes GD .
Combining antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy in cardiovascular disease.
Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2020 Dec 4;2020(1):642-48. doi: 10.1182/hematology.2020000151..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Cardiovascular Conditions
Barnes GD, Sippola E, Dorsch M
Applying population health approaches to improve safe anticoagulant use in the outpatient setting: the DOAC Dashboard multi-cohort implementation evaluation study protocol.
This paper discusses the study protocol that is being used in the ongoing multi-cohort implementation evaluation study on applying population health approaches to improve safe use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) for treatment of atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. It is hoped that these approaches will help prevent incorrect dosing which is common and puts patients at risk of adverse events. Population health tools, including interactive dashboards built into the electronic health record (EHR), are being evaluated as a way to improve safe prescribing. A three-phase project is being conducted at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The DOAC Dashboard will be implemented in four new health systems. Quantitative evaluation of the implementation will follow the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Stakeholders will be interviewed as part of the qualitative evaluation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and Technology Acceptance Models. The goals of the study are to evaluate the implementation of the EHR-based population health tool, guide the adoption in four new health systems, and evaluate the multi-center implementation effort.
AHRQ-funded; HS026874.
Citation:
Barnes GD, Sippola E, Dorsch M .
Applying population health approaches to improve safe anticoagulant use in the outpatient setting: the DOAC Dashboard multi-cohort implementation evaluation study protocol.
Implement Sci 2020 Sep 21;15(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s13012-020-01044-5.
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Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Patient Safety, Implementation, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medical Errors
Abraham NS, Yang EH, Noseworthy PA
Fewer gastrointestinal bleeds with ticagrelor and prasugrel compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome following percutaneous coronary intervention.
The goal of this study was to compare gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) rates associated with clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor using national medical and pharmacy claims data from privately insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees. Findings showed that, in the first year following percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome, ticagrelor and prasugrel were associated with fewer GIB events compared with clopidogrel.
AHRQ-funded; HS025402.
Citation:
Abraham NS, Yang EH, Noseworthy PA .
Fewer gastrointestinal bleeds with ticagrelor and prasugrel compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome following percutaneous coronary intervention.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2020 Aug;52(4):646-54. doi: 10.1111/apt.15790..
Keywords:
Medication: Safety, Medication, Blood Thinners, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Cardiovascular Conditions, Surgery
Villa Zapata L, Hansten PD, Panic J
Risk of bleeding with exposure to warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Warfarin use can trigger the occurrence of bleeding independently or as a result of a drug-drug interaction when used in combination with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This article examines the risk of bleeding in individuals exposed to concomitant warfarin and NSAID compared with those taking warfarin alone. The investigators concluded that risk of bleeding was significantly increased among persons taking warfarin and a NSAID or COX-2 inhibitor together as compared with taking warfarin alone.
AHRQ-funded; HS025984.
Citation:
Villa Zapata L, Hansten PD, Panic J .
Risk of bleeding with exposure to warfarin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Thromb Haemost 2020 Jul;120(7):1066-74. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1710592..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Risk, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Outcomes
Yang AD, Hewitt DB, Blay E
Multi-institution evaluation of adherence to comprehensive postoperative VTE chemoprophylaxis.
The aims of this study were to: (1) measure the rate of failure to provide defect-free postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis, (2) identify reasons for failure to provide defect-free VTE chemoprophylaxis, and (3) examine patient- and hospital-level factors associated with failure. The investigators concluded that in contrast to SCIP-VTE-2, their novel quality measure unmasked VTE chemoprophylaxis failures in 18% of colectomies. They found that most failures were due to patient refusals or ordering errors.
AHRQ-funded; HS024516.
Citation:
Yang AD, Hewitt DB, Blay E .
Multi-institution evaluation of adherence to comprehensive postoperative VTE chemoprophylaxis.
Ann Surg 2020 Jun;271(6):1072-79. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000003124..
Keywords:
Patient Adherence/Compliance, Guidelines, Blood Clots, Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Adverse Events
Probst MA, Gupta M, Hendey GW
Prevalence of intracranial injury in adult patients with blunt head trauma with and without anticoagulant or antiplatelet use.
In this study, the investigators determined the prevalence of significant intracranial injury among adults with blunt head trauma who are receiving preinjury anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. The investigators concluded that patients receiving preinjury warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel were at increased risk for significant intracranial injury, but not those receiving aspirin alone. They suggested that clinicians should have a low threshold for neuroimaging when evaluating patients receiving warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel.
AHRQ-funded; HS009699.
Citation:
Probst MA, Gupta M, Hendey GW .
Prevalence of intracranial injury in adult patients with blunt head trauma with and without anticoagulant or antiplatelet use.
Ann Emerg Med 2020 Mar;75(3):354-64. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.10.004..
Keywords:
Brain Injury, Injuries and Wounds, Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk
Abraham NS
Antiplatelets, anticoagulants, and colonoscopic polypectomy.
This article is a review of current best practice recommendations focusing on the risk of immediate and delayed postpolypectomy bleeding in the context of drug discontinuation or continuation of antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs. Data was assessed whether cold snare vs conventional thermal-based polypectomy technology and prophylactic placement of hemostatic clips are endoscopic techniques that are beneficial in reducing polypectomy bleeding. Clinical takeaways are also provided to facilitate safer polypectomy among patients on antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents.
AHRQ-funded; HS025402.
Citation:
Abraham NS .
Antiplatelets, anticoagulants, and colonoscopic polypectomy.
Gastrointest Endosc 2020 Feb;91(2):257-65. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2019.09.033..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Medication, Medication: Safety, Colonoscopy, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Guidelines, Prevention, Patient Safety
Abraham NS, Noseworthy PA, Inselman J
Risk of gastrointestinal bleeding increases with combinations of antithrombotic agents and patient age.
This study investigated whether age of patient and time frame increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in elderly patients being treated with anticoagulants, antiplatelets, or a combination of both therapies. This retrospective analysis used nationwide claims data from privately insured and Medicare Advantage enrollees who received anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents from October 1, 2010, through May 31, 2017. The final cohort included 311,211 patients who had a primary diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, or venous thromboembolism. There was no significant different in the proportion of patients with GIB after anticoagulant or antiplatelet monotherapy, but combination therapy increased GIB risk. Advancing age was also associated with increasing 1-year probability of FIB, especially patients older than 75 years taking combination therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS025402.
Citation:
Abraham NS, Noseworthy PA, Inselman J .
Risk of gastrointestinal bleeding increases with combinations of antithrombotic agents and patient age.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020 Feb;18(2):337-46.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2019.05.017..
Keywords:
Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Medication, Adverse Events, Medication: Safety, Elderly, Blood Thinners, Blood Clots, Digestive Disease and Health
Mentias A, Briasoulis A, Shantha G
Impact of heart failure type on thromboembolic and bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation.
Differential impact of heart failure (HF) category on thromboembolic and bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC) is unknown. In this study, the investigators used Medicare data for beneficiaries with new AF diagnosed between 2011 and 2013 to identify patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and no HF. The investigators concluded that in AF patients, HFrEF and HFpEF are both associated with higher risk of ischemic stroke, HF and AMI admissions, even after adjusting for OAC use, compared with patients without HF.
AHRQ-funded; HS023104.
Citation:
Mentias A, Briasoulis A, Shantha G .
Impact of heart failure type on thromboembolic and bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation.
Am J Cardiol 2019 May 15;123(10):1649-53. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2019.02.027..
Keywords:
Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Blood Thinners, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Elderly, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Registries
Lowenstern A, Al-Khatib SM, Sharan L
Interventions for preventing thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.
The purpose of this review was to compare the effectiveness of therapies to prevent thromboembolic events and bleeding complications in adults with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). Two independent reviewers screened citations in order to identify comparative studies of treatments to prevent stroke in adults with nonvalvular AF who reported thromboembolic or bleeding complications, then abstracted data from 220 selected articles, assessed study quality and applicability, and rated the strength of evidence. The article concludes that available direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are at least as effective and safe as warfarin for patients with nonvalvular AF and had similar benefits across several patient subgroups.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500004I.
Citation:
Lowenstern A, Al-Khatib SM, Sharan L .
Interventions for preventing thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.
Ann Intern Med 2018 Dec 4;169(11):774-87. doi: 10.7326/m18-1523..
Keywords:
Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Blood Thinners, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Medication, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Borre ED, Goode A, Raitz G
Predicting thromboembolic and bleeding event risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.
This systematic review compared the strength of tools to predict stroke and bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking blood thinners. Sixty-one studies were found to predict thromboembolic risk and 38 to predict bleeding risk.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500004I.
Citation:
Borre ED, Goode A, Raitz G .
Predicting thromboembolic and bleeding event risk in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a systematic review.
Thromb Haemost 2018 Dec;118(12):2171-87. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1675400..
Keywords:
Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Stroke, Blood Clots, Blood Thinners, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Jones CE, Hollis RH, Gullick AA
Venous thromboembolic events: how low can you go?
This study evaluated postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemical prophylaxis adherence to assess the preventability of VTEs. It found that nearly half of patients who experienced postoperative VTEs received appropriate guideline-driven care. Most interruptions in chemical prophylaxis were justified medically. This further questions the preventability of postoperative VTEs and the utility of this outcome as a valid measure of hospital quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation:
Jones CE, Hollis RH, Gullick AA .
Venous thromboembolic events: how low can you go?
Am J Surg 2017 Apr;213(4):706-10. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2016.10.037.
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Keywords:
Adverse Events, Blood Clots, Blood Thinners, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Prevention
Hart R, Veenstra DL, Boudreau DM
Impact of body mass index and genetics on warfarin major bleeding outcomes in a community setting.
The researchers conducted a case-control study to evaluate the association between body mass index and major bleeding risk among patients receiving warfarin. They found that obese patients had significantly lower major bleeding risk relative to non-obese patients . An exploratory analysis indicated a statistically significant interaction between CYP4F2*3 genetic status and obesity.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation:
Hart R, Veenstra DL, Boudreau DM .
Impact of body mass index and genetics on warfarin major bleeding outcomes in a community setting.
Am J Med 2017 Feb;130(2):222-28. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.017.
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Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Obesity, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk, Adverse Events
O'Brien EC, Simon DN, Thomas LE
The ORBIT bleeding score: a simple bedside score to assess bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation.
The researchers sought to develop and validate a novel bleeding risk score using routinely available clinical information to predict major bleeding in a large, community-based in atrial fibrillation (AF) population. They concluded that their five-element ORBIT bleeding risk score had better ability to predict major bleeding in AF patients when compared with HAS-BLED and ATRIA risk scores.
AHRQ-funded; HS021092.
Citation:
O'Brien EC, Simon DN, Thomas LE .
The ORBIT bleeding score: a simple bedside score to assess bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation.
Eur Heart J 2015 Dec 7;36(46):3258-64. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv476.
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Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Heart Disease and Health, Cardiovascular Conditions, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events, Risk, Registries, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Evidence-Based Practice
Vaughan Sarrazin MS, Jones M, Mazur A
Bleeding rates in Veterans Affairs patients with atrial fibrillation who switch from warfarin to dabigatran.
This study evaluated the relative risks of any, gastrointestinal, intracranial, and other bleeding for Veterans Affairs patients who switched to dabigatran after at least 6 months on warfarin. It found that among veterans with atrial fibrillation who switched to dabigatran, dabigatran increased the risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage by 54% and was not associated with rates of other bleeding or death.
AHRQ-funded; HS021992
Citation:
Vaughan Sarrazin MS, Jones M, Mazur A .
Bleeding rates in Veterans Affairs patients with atrial fibrillation who switch from warfarin to dabigatran.
Am J Med. 2014 Dec;127(12):1179-85. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.07.024..
Keywords:
Blood Thinners, Adverse Events, Patient Safety, Veterans
