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Phys Topicscardiovascular

Phys · cardiovascular

Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy (Physician-Managed)

Also known as anticoagulation · antiplatelet therapy · warfarin · DOAC · apixaban · rivaroxaban · dabigatran · edoxaban · DAPT · dual antiplatelet therapy · anticoagulant reversal · bridging anticoagulation · HIT

Consultant-physician-depth guide to anticoagulant and antiplatelet prescribing — warfarin and the DOACs with doses and renal thresholds, VTE duration, mechanical valves, reversal agents, perioperative management, HIT, cancer-associated VTE, DAPT and triple therapy — structured for FRACP DWE and DCE preparation.

high35 referencesUpdated 26 July 202620 min readVerification in progress

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FRACP DWEFRACP DCEMRCP Part 2ABIM Internal Medicine

Red flags

  • Mechanical heart valve on a DOAC — contraindicated; warfarin only (RE-ALIGN showed harm with dabigatran)
  • Falling platelets 5-10 days into heparin with new thrombosis — HIT until proven otherwise; stop all heparin immediately
  • Intracranial or haemodynamically significant bleeding on an anticoagulant — activate reversal pathway now
  • DAPT stopped within the first months after coronary stenting — risk of stent thrombosis and death
  • Unprovoked VTE in a patient over 50 — consider occult malignancy and take the history and examination seriously
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Target exams

FRACP DWEFRACP DCEMRCP Part 2ABIM Internal Medicine

Red flags

  • Mechanical heart valve on a DOAC — contraindicated; warfarin only (RE-ALIGN showed harm with dabigatran)
  • Falling platelets 5-10 days into heparin with new thrombosis — HIT until proven otherwise; stop all heparin immediately
  • Intracranial or haemodynamically significant bleeding on an anticoagulant — activate reversal pathway now
  • DAPT stopped within the first months after coronary stenting — risk of stent thrombosis and death
  • Unprovoked VTE in a patient over 50 — consider occult malignancy and take the history and examination seriously

Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy (Physician-Managed)

The 30-second ward answer

"Who gets anticoagulated, with what, and for how long? A DOAC for AF stroke prevention and for VTE — apixaban if I am worried about bleeding or renal function. Warfarin for mechanical valves, rheumatic mitral stenosis and antiphospholipid syndrome, targeting INR 2 to 3. VTE gets 3 months if provoked, extended therapy if unprovoked or cancer — a DOAC for cancer now, not LMWH. If they bleed, I reverse with the specific antidote; if they go to theatre, I hold the DOAC 24 to 48 hours, warfarin 5 days, and I do not bridge. And aspirin is for established vascular disease, not for healthy elderly people." [9] [13] [18] [26]

Meet the patient

A 74-year-old with atrial fibrillation and three falls in six months sits in your clinic, her apixaban held by a worried locum. Her CHA₂DS₂-VASc is 4; her creatinine clearance sits around 38. The registrar asks whether the falls make anticoagulation too dangerous.[34]

They do not — and proving that with arithmetic is the single skill this whole topic rewards. Antithrombotic prescribing is risk arbitration: every decision trades a thrombotic risk you can quantify against a bleeding risk you can modify, and the examiner wants to hear you do the sums aloud.[33]

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References35ShowHide
  1. [1]Connolly SJ, Ezekowitz MD, Yusuf S, et al. Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2009.PMID 19717844
  2. [2]Patel MR, Mahaffey KW, Garg J, et al. Rivaroxaban versus warfarin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2011.PMID 21830957
  3. [3]Granger CB, Alexander JH, McMurray JJ, et al. Apixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2011.PMID 21870978
  4. [4]Giugliano RP, Ruff CT, Braunwald E, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 24251359
  5. [5]Eikelboom JW, Connolly SJ, Brueckmann M, et al. Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with mechanical heart valves N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 23991661
  6. [6]Bauersachs R, Berkowitz SD, Brenner B, et al. Oral rivaroxaban for symptomatic venous thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2010.PMID 21128814
  7. [7]Agnelli G, Buller HR, Cohen A, et al. Oral apixaban for the treatment of acute venous thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 23808982
  8. [8]Büller HR, Décousus H, Grosso MA, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin for the treatment of symptomatic venous thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 23991658
  9. [9]Kearon C, Akl EA, Ornelas J, et al. Antithrombotic Therapy for VTE Disease: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report Chest, 2016.PMID 26867832
  10. [10]Stevens SM, Woller SC, Kreuziger LB, et al. Antithrombotic Therapy for VTE Disease: Second Update of the CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel Report Chest, 2021.PMID 34352278
  11. [11]Agnelli G, Buller HR, Cohen A, et al. Apixaban for extended treatment of venous thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 23216615
  12. [12]Weitz JI, Lensing AWA, Prins MH, et al. Rivaroxaban or Aspirin for Extended Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2017.PMID 28316279
  13. [13]Agnelli G, Becattini C, Meyer G, et al. Apixaban for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism Associated with Cancer N Engl J Med, 2020.PMID 32223112
  14. [14]Raskob GE, van Es N, Verhamme P, et al. Edoxaban for the Treatment of Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolism N Engl J Med, 2018.PMID 29231094
  15. [15]Pollack CV, Reilly PA, Eikelboom J, et al. Idarucizumab for Dabigatran Reversal N Engl J Med, 2015.PMID 26095746
  16. [16]Connolly SJ, Crowther M, Eikelboom JW, et al. Full Study Report of Andexanet Alfa for Bleeding Associated with Factor Xa Inhibitors N Engl J Med, 2019.PMID 30730782
  17. [17]Sarode R, Milling TJ, Refaai MA, et al. Efficacy and safety of a 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate in patients on vitamin K antagonists presenting with major bleeding: a randomized, plasma-controlled, phase IIIb study Circulation, 2013.PMID 23935011
  18. [18]Douketis JD, Spyropoulos AC, Kaatz S, et al. Perioperative Bridging Anticoagulation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2015.PMID 26095867
  19. [19]Birnie DH, Healey JS, Wells GA, et al. Pacemaker or defibrillator surgery without interruption of anticoagulation N Engl J Med, 2013.PMID 23659733
  20. [20]Douketis JD, Spyropoulos AC, Duncan J, et al. Perioperative Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Receiving a Direct Oral Anticoagulant JAMA Intern Med, 2019.PMID 31380891
  21. [21]Yusuf S, Zhao F, Mehta SR, et al. Effects of clopidogrel in addition to aspirin in patients with acute coronary syndromes without ST-segment elevation N Engl J Med, 2001.PMID 11519503
  22. [22]Wiviott SD, Braunwald E, McCabe CH, et al. Prasugrel versus clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes N Engl J Med, 2007.PMID 17982182
  23. [23]Wallentin L, Becker RC, Budaj A, et al. Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes N Engl J Med, 2009.PMID 19717846
  24. [24]Mauri L, Kereiakes DJ, Yeh RW, et al. Twelve or 30 months of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stents N Engl J Med, 2014.PMID 25399658
  25. [25]Bowman L, Mafham M, Wallendszus K, et al. Effects of Aspirin for Primary Prevention in Persons with Diabetes Mellitus N Engl J Med, 2018.PMID 30146931
  26. [26]McNeil JJ, Wolfe R, Woods RL, et al. Effect of Aspirin on Cardiovascular Events and Bleeding in the Healthy Elderly N Engl J Med, 2018.PMID 30221597
  27. [27]Gaziano JM, Brotons C, Coppolecchia R, et al. Use of aspirin to reduce risk of initial vascular events in patients at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease (ARRIVE): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Lancet, 2018.PMID 30158069
  28. [28]Gibson CM, Mehran R, Bode C, et al. Prevention of Bleeding in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing PCI N Engl J Med, 2016.PMID 27959713
  29. [29]Lopes RD, Heizer G, Aronson R, et al. Antithrombotic Therapy after Acute Coronary Syndrome or PCI in Atrial Fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2019.PMID 30883055
  30. [30]Cannon CP, Bhatt DL, Oldgren J, et al. Dual Antithrombotic Therapy with Dabigatran after PCI in Atrial Fibrillation N Engl J Med, 2017.PMID 28844193
  31. [31]Lo GK, Juhl D, Warkentin TE, et al. Evaluation of pretest clinical score (4 T's) for the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in two clinical settings J Thromb Haemost, 2006.PMID 16634744
  32. [32]Cuker A, Arepally GM, Chong BH, et al. American Society of Hematology 2018 guidelines for management of venous thromboembolism: heparin-induced thrombocytopenia Blood Adv, 2018.PMID 30482768
  33. [33]Man-Son-Hing M, Nichol G, Lau A, et al. Choosing antithrombotic therapy for elderly patients with atrial fibrillation who are at risk for falls Arch Intern Med, 1999.PMID 10218746
  34. [34]Lip GY, Nieuwlaat R, Pisters R, et al. Refining clinical risk stratification for predicting stroke and thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation using a novel risk factor-based approach: the euro heart survey on atrial fibrillation Chest, 2010.PMID 19762550
  35. [35]Pisters R, Lane DA, Nieuwlaat R, et al. A novel user-friendly score (HAS-BLED) to assess 1-year risk of major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Euro Heart Survey Chest, 2010.PMID 20299623

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