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1.
How we manage Bing-Neel syndrome.
Castillo, JJ, Treon, SP
British journal of haematology. 2019;(3):277-285
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Abstract
Bing-Neel syndrome (BNS) is an uncommon presentation of Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM), seen during the course of the disease in about 1% of patients. BNS occurs when WM cells gain access to the central nervous system (CNS) causing neurological deficits. The diagnosis of BNS is suggested by the presence of radiological abnormalities, such as leptomeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed by the presence of clonal lymphoplasmacytic cells and MYD88 L265P in the cerebrospinal fluid. The treatment of BNS requires agents with good penetration into the CNS, such as fludarabine, methotrexate and cytarabine. The novel Bruton Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor ibrutinib has shown CNS-penetrating properties, and recent data suggest a therapeutic role in BNS. In this review, we will discuss the clinical and pathological features, diagnostic criteria, treatment options and outcomes of patients with BNS.
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Preventing Thrombosis to Improve Outcomes in Heart Failure Patients.
Shantsila, E, Lip, GY
Progress in cardiovascular diseases. 2016;(4):386-92
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Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, particularly if this condition is accompanied by atrial fibrillation (AF). Many HF patients have background coronary artery disease (CAD) making them prone to coronary thrombosis resulting in myocardial infarction or sudden death. Oral anticoagulation is essential in the vast majority of HF patients with AF with non-vitamin K based anticoagulants being a suitable alternative to warfarin. In contrast, aspirin alone does not provide adequate stroke prevention in such patients. In HF without AF, oral anticoagulation should not be routinely used, and antiplatelet agents should be prescribed in patients with background CAD. This review provides an overview of prothrombotic factors and antithrombotic management of patients with HF.
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A Brief Review on Toxic Alcohols: Management Strategies.
Hassanian-Moghaddam, H, Zamani, N
Iranian journal of kidney diseases. 2016;(6):344-350
Abstract
The information on burden of alcohol abuse in Iran is scarce. However, the available data show that mortality rates and frequency of its use have increased in the Iranian community. In particular, Iran occupies the 1st rank in the number of outbreak incidents and victims of toxic alcohols such as methanol in the Middle East. Mortality and morbidity of toxic alcohols are high if prompt diagnosis and treatment are not initiated rapidly. On-time diagnosis, proper case finding, and standard treatment have an essential role to reduce mortality and morbidity of toxic alcohols particularly blindness and other physical and psychological disabilities. This review focuses on intoxication with methanol, ethylene glycol, and isopropanol, and their treatment.
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[Non-VKA oral anticoagulants: an update for the clinical biologists].
Mullier, F, Douxfils, J, Tamigniau, A, Dogné, JM, Horellou, MH, Flaujac, C, Chatelain, B, Goffinet, C, Samama, MM, Gouin-Thibault, I
Annales de biologie clinique. 2015;(3):333-44
Abstract
Non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs), thanks to their ease of use and their similar or superior safety/efficacy profiles versus warfarin, have now widely reached the lucrative market of anticoagulation. However, while the marketing authorization holders always claim, in a quite unclear way that no monitoring is required, accumulative evidence and cases of major bleeding have been described in the literature and reported by spontaneous reporting systems at the regulator's level. These compounds are usually given at fixed doses without routine coagulation monitoring. However, new data suggests that an assessment of the response at the individual level could improve the benefit-risk ratio of, at least dabigatran. Therefore, in certain patient populations, i.e. acute or chronic renal impairment or multiple drug interactions, measurement of drug exposure may be useful to ensure an optimal treatment response. More specific circumstances such as patients experiencing a haemorrhagic or thromboembolic event during the treatment duration, patients who require urgent surgery or an invasive procedure, or patient with a suspected overdose could benefit from such a measurement. This article aims at providing guidance on how to best estimate the intensity of anticoagulation using laboratory assays in daily practice.
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Apixaban versus edoxaban for stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Xiong, Q, Lau, YC, Lip, GY
Journal of comparative effectiveness research. 2015;(4):367-76
Abstract
Oral anticoagulation therapy is the mainstay of stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients. Vitamin K antagonists (such as warfarin) have been effective conventional oral anticoagulants for several decades. However, due to their limitations in clinical use, several nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs, including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban) have been developed. Nonetheless, no head to head trials have been performed to directly compare these NOACs in patient cohorts. In this review article, two direct factor Xa inhibitors, apixaban and edoxaban, are briefly described with focus on their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, plus drug interactions. Moreover, both efficacy and safety will be discussed based on the available data from the large Phase III clinical trials and indirect comparison studies.
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Direct oral anticoagulants: key considerations for use to prevent stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Ment, J
Vascular health and risk management. 2015;:317-32
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Strokes that occur as a complication of AF are usually more severe and associated with a higher disability or morbidity and mortality rate compared with non-AF-related strokes. The risk of stroke in AF is dependent on several risk factors; AF itself acts as an independent risk factor for stroke. The combination of effective anticoagulation therapy, risk stratification (based on stroke risk scores, such as CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc), and recommendations provided by guidelines is essential for decreasing the risk of stroke in patients with AF. Although effective in preventing the occurrence of stroke, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs; e.g., warfarin) are associated with several limitations. Therefore, direct oral anticoagulants, such as apixaban, dabigatran etexilate, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban, have emerged as an alternative to the VKAs for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular AF. Compared with the VKAs, these agents have more favorable pharmacological characteristics and, unlike the VKAs, they are given at fixed doses without the need for routine coagulation monitoring. It remains important that physicians use these direct oral anticoagulants responsibly to ensure optimal safety and effectiveness. This article provides an overview of the existing data on the direct oral anticoagulants, focusing on management protocols for aiding physicians to optimize anticoagulant therapy in patients with nonvalvular AF, particularly in special patient populations (e.g., those with renal impairment) and other specific clinical situations.
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7.
Advantages and limitations of the new anticoagulants.
Schulman, S
Journal of internal medicine. 2014;(1):1-11
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Abstract
During recent years, three new anticoagulants (dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban) have been introduced to the market, probably with one more anticoagulant (edoxaban) in the next 2 years. This review is not intended to compare the efficacy and risks of these new agents, but rather to detail the advantages and limitations. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of these drugs have few drug and food interactions, predictable dose responses, and rapid onset and offset, thus resulting in simplified management of the patient requiring anticoagulant therapy. No routine laboratory monitoring is required. A somewhat unexpected, but exciting observation involving the new anticoagulants, is the uniform reduction in intracranial bleeding by one-half compared with warfarin. The potential limitations of the new anticoagulants include uncertainty regarding assessment of drug levels, safe drug levels for major surgery, management of major bleeding, renal dependence, multiple dose regimens, adherence in the absence of frequent monitoring and unknown, rare side effects that were not captured in the trials. This review should clarify some of these concerns.
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Newer oral anticoagulant agents: a new era in medicine.
Goel, R, Srivathsan, K
Current cardiology reviews. 2012;(2):158-65
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Abstract
After a gap of almost 60 years following the development of warfarin, 2 new categories of oral anticoagulant agents have been approved for clinical use - the direct thrombin inhibitors and factor Xa inhibitors. These agents promise to be more convenient to administer with fixed dosing but still have equivalent efficacy and improved bleeding risk compared to warfarin. The clinical community is looking forward to the widespread usage of these agents but there is also some apprehension regarding bleeding risks, non-availability of specific reversal strategies and lack of specific monitoring parameters. This review article will attempt to educate the reader about three representative drugs from these classes: Dabigatran, Rivaroxaban and Apixaban. We will discuss the historical perspective to the development of these drugs, available research data and pharmacology of these agents. The best strategies for monitoring and reversal of these drugs in special situations will also be touched upon.
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Novel oral anticoagulation in management of venous thromboembolism, atrial fibrillation, and acute coronary syndrome.
Khemasuwan, D, Suramaethakul, N
Clinical and applied thrombosis/hemostasis : official journal of the International Academy of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis. 2012;(5):476-86
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Abstract
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major public health concern since the incidence of VTE rises substantially with age. Furthermore, the diagnosis can be elusive since patients can present differently, causing delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment and resulting in major morbidity and mortality. In addition to accuracy and precision in diagnosis, antithrombotic therapies are the cornerstones of VTE management. In traditional paradigm, vitamin K antagonists (warfarin), indirect factor Xa inhibitors, and heparin are the foundation in management of VTE. Warfarin has been the only available oral anticoagulant therapy for several decades. Although warfarin is effective in both treatment and prophylaxis against VTE, there are several limitations. Therefore, the novel anticoagulation therapies, including rivaroxaban, apixaban, and dabigatran etexilate, have apparent advantages over warfarin in terms of clinical efficacy and adverse effects. The objective of this review is to describe the background and clinical implications of these novel anticoagulants.
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[New anticoagulants: dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban].
Vargas Ruiz, AG, Ramírez López, AN, Medina Viramontes, ME
Gaceta medica de Mexico. 2012;(3):257-64
Abstract
To date, the most widely used drugs in our anticoagulation clinics are acenocoumarin and warfarin, which belong to the category of vitamin K antagonists (VKA). They have about 70 years of use in the clinic, with proven efficacy for various thrombotic diseases, but also with known problems of variability and dietary and drug interactions. In hospital thromboprophylaxis, the most widely used anticoagulant is enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). A new generation of anticoagulants are available, the direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran) and factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban and apixaban), with obvious advantages over conventional anticoagulants. This paper summarizes what has been published to date for these new antithrombotics.