Higher Risk Of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Research Articles

Guideline versus clinician recommended duration of dual antiplatelet therapy following acute coronary syndrome (ANZACS-QI 78).

The recommended duration of dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) for patients without atrial fibrillation varies from 1 month to 1 year depending on the balance of risks of ischaemia and major bleeding. Patients on DAPT with a high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding are also recommended to receive a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Our aim was to audit current practice against the 2020 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guideline recommendations. One hundred consecutive ACS patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention discharged from Middlemore Hospital and without atrial fibrillation in the first quarter of 2023 were studied. ANZACS-QI ischaemic (I) and bleeding (B) risk scores were calculated, with patients categorised in four groups based on ESC recommendations-low I/low B risk, low I/high B, high I/low B and high I/high B. Guideline and clinician recommended duration of DAPT and prescription of PPI were compared. All patients were planned for DAPT at discharge and 91% a PPI. Up to four out of five ACS patients could have been planned for shorter DAPT durations based on the ESC guideline recommendations. Over half of included patients (53%) had a high bleeding risk, yet 85% of these patients received 12 months of DAPT despite ESC recommendations of 1-3 months. There was a divergence between clinical practice and the recommendations of the 2020 ESC guidelines. We discuss these results in relation to the updated August 2023 ESC guidelines, which have reaffirmed a 12-month duration of DAPT as the default position.

Optimizing antithrombotic therapy in patients with coexisting cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disease.

Balancing the safety and efficacy of antithrombotic agents in patients with gastrointestinal disorders is challenging because of the potential for interference with the absorption of antithrombotic drugs and for an increased risk of bleeding. In this Review, we address considerations for enteral antithrombotic therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal comorbidities. For those with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), we summarize a general scheme for risk stratification and clinical evidence on risk reduction approaches, such as limiting the use of concomitant medications that increase the risk of GIB and the potential utility of gastrointestinal protection strategies (such as proton pump inhibitors or histamine type 2 receptor antagonists). Furthermore, we summarize the best available evidence and potential gaps in our knowledge on tailoring antithrombotic therapy in patients with active or recent GIB and in those at high risk of GIB but without active or recent GIB. Finally, we review the recommendations provided by major medical societies, highlighting the crucial role of teamwork and multidisciplinary discussions to customize the antithrombotic regimen in patients with coexisting cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.

Assessing peptic ulcer risk with the HAMPROW score in the general Chinese population

The timely identification of individuals at high risk for peptic ulcers (PUs) is vital in preventing gastrointestinal bleeding after antiplatelet therapy. This study was designed to determine PU risk factors and develop a risk assessment model for PU detection in the general Chinese population. In a prospective dataset, clinical data from individuals undergoing gastroscopic evaluation between April 2019 and May 2022 were recorded. PUs were defined as mucosal defects exceeding 5 mm confirmed via gastroscopy. Participants were categorized into development (April 2019 to April 2021) and validation (May 2021 to May 2022) sets based on chronological order. LASSO-derived logistic regression analysis was employed to create a score, which was further validated via temporal validation. A total of 902 patients were ultimately enrolled, 204 (22.6%) of whom had PUs based on endoscopic findings. In the development cohort (n = 631), seven independent risk factors emerged: male sex (OR = 2.35, P = 0.002), white blood cell (WBC) count (OR = 1.16, P = 0.010), red blood cell (RBC) count (OR = 0.49, P < 0.001), globulin level (OR = 0.92, P = 0.004), albumin level (OR = 0.94, P = 0.020), pepsinogen I (PGI) level (OR = 1.01, P < 0.001), and positive Helicobacter pylori (HP) antibody (OR = 2.50, P < 0.001). Using these factors, a nomogram (HAMPROW score [hazard ratio (HP) antibody, albumin, male, PGI, RBC, globulin, and WBC]) was developed for individual PU prediction. The ability of the HAMPROW score to predict survival was confirmed with AUCs of 0.854 (95% CI 0.816–0.891) and 0.833 (95% CI 0.771–0.895) in the development and validation sets, respectively. In conclusion, the HAMPROW score can be used to screen for PUs effectively in the general Chinese population, facilitating personalized early detection of high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding before antiplatelet therapy.

Real-World Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding for Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Warfarin Users: A Distributed Network Analysis Using a Common Data Model.

: Early studies on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) reported a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) compared with warfarin; however, recent studies have reported a reduced risk. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the risk of GIB in users of DOAC and warfarin. : Using a common data model, we investigated the comparative risk of GIB in subjects from eight hospitals who were newly prescribed DOACs or warfarin. We excluded subjects who had a prior history of GIB or had been prescribed both medications. After propensity score matching, we analyzed 3,347 matched pairs of new DOAC and new warfarin users. : The risk of GIB in new DOAC users was comparable to that in new warfarin users (hazard ratio [HR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 1.40; p=0.808). New DOAC users had a similar risk of GIB to new warfarin users among older patients >65 years (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.52; p=0.997) and in older patients >75 years (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.68 to 2.10; p=0.509). In addition, the risk of GIB was not significantly different between two groups according to sex. We also found that the risk of GIB in DOAC users was 26% lower in edoxaban or apixaban subgroups compared to rivaroxaban or dabigatran subgroups (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.00; p=0.049). : In real-world practice, the risk of GIB in new DOAC users is comparable to that in new warfarin users. In DOAC users, the risk of GIB was lower in edoxaban or apixaban subgroups than rivaroxaban or dabigatran subgroups.

A review on increasing risk for gastrointestinal bleeding associated with dabigatran

Dabigatran, a reversible direct thrombin inhibitor, is widely used in clinical practice as a therapeutic option due to its unique mechanism of action in comparison to other anticoagulants. Although patients taking dabigatran experience a reduced risk of fatal bleeding, a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is associated with dabigatran, and its rational use between anticoagulation and bleeding is challenging for clinicians. To prevent GIB, it is imperative for clinicians to understand the pharmacological characteristics of dabigatran to ensure that its prescription should be avoided in patients with bleeding. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics of dabigatran and bleeding sites in the gastrointestinal tract in patients treated with dabigatran, as well as discuss the factors that increase the risk of dabigatran-induced GIB, including dose, age, drug interactions, race, genetics and past medical history. Finally, the treatment and prevention of GIB with dabigatran is also discussed. This review will help clinicians choose their drugs and doses more carefully for treating GIB.

Clinical, Endoscopic, and Histopathologic Observations in Gastrointestinal Amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a group of systemic disorders caused by extracellular deposition of misfolded serum proteins. Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is associated with a higher risk of GI bleeding, especially if mucosal lesions are present. Our study aims to evaluate the frequency of GI manifestations in patients with amyloidosis, to clinically characterize these patients and to describe the endoscopic and histopathologic findings in GI amyloidosis. A retrospective, single-center study of all patients admitted with amyloidosis and GI manifestations was conducted at a German University Hospital between July 2003 and June 2023. Clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological data was retrieved from medical records. Between July 2003 and June 2023, 63 patients with different types of amyloidosis were included into the study. Twenty-three (36,5%) were diagnosed with GI involvement of amyloidosis (60.9% male, median age 62 ± 18.28 years). The distribution of the types of amyloidosis were amyloid light chain (AL) at 52.5%, transthyretin (ATTR) at 21.7%, amyloid A (AA) at 13.0%, and unknown at 18%. Initial GI symptoms were present in 78.3% of the patients and included mainly diarrhea (34.8%), and abdominal pain (30.4%) Affected GI organs were primarily the colon (60,8%) and the stomach (39.1%). Endoscopic findings were ulcerations (47.8%), mucosal inflammation (43.5%), polyps (26.1%), erosions (13.0%), vascular malformation, polypoid protrusion, submucosal hematoma, erythema, metaplasia, and diverticulum. Histopathological findings included vascular wall thickening, (peri-)vascular and interstitial amyloid deposition. Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 39.1% of the patients. The mortality rate 5 years after diagnosis was 47.8%. Gastrointestinal amyloidosis can present with multiple symptoms and endoscopic findings, rendering diagnosis a challenge. Of clinical relevance, GI bleeding was a frequent event in our patient cohort. Therefore, clinicians must be aware of GI bleeding as a manifestation of amyloidosis and definite diagnosis should be achieved based on biopsy results.

Elevated Incidence and Risk of Emergent Cirrhosis Complications in Alcoholic Cirrhosis Compared with Other Etiologies

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common cause of urgent hospitalization in patients with cirrhosis. However, limited studies have examined the prevalence and risk of these complications based on etiology. This study aims to compare the occurrence and risk of cirrhosis complications on inpatient mortality between alcoholic cirrhosis (ALC) and other etiology-induced cirrhosis (NALC). This retrospective analysis included 7,159,694 patients. ALC was diagnosed based on ICD-10, while NALC included primary and secondary biliary cirrhosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and unspecified cirrhosis of the liver. GIB included bleeding from esophageal and gastric varices. Bivariate analyses using appropriate statistical tests were performed to compare the two groups. ALC patients had a significantly higher incidence of GIB compared with NALC patients (10.8% vs. 6.4%, p &lt; 0.01), with an associated 60% higher risk of GIB than NALC patients (p &lt; 0.01). ALC was associated with a higher prevalence of ascites (45.6% vs. 27.9%, p &lt; 0.01) and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (45.5% vs. 27.2%, p &lt; 0.01) compared with NALC patients. The risk of ascites and HE was 2.2 times and 2.3 times higher, respectively, in ALC patients compared with NALC patients (p &lt; 0.01). Furthermore, ALC patients had higher hospital mortality rates compared with NALC patients, with a 47% higher risk of hospital mortality after adjustment (p &lt; 0.01). ALC patients also had prolonged hospital stays, higher charges, more emergency room (ER) visits, and more frequent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) requirements compared with those of NALC patients (p &lt; 0.01). ALC patients have a significantly higher risk of developing GIB, ascites, and HE compared with NALC patients, leading to increased mortality and greater medical burden on hospitals.

Application of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel Routine Querying Tools to the Taiwan Sentinel Data Model-formatted National Health Insurance Research Database.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Sentinel System is a leading distributed data network for drug safety surveillance in the world. The National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan was converted into the Taiwan Sentinel Data Model (TSDM) based on the Sentinel Common Data Model (SCDM) version 6.0.2. The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of applying the same study designs, analytic choices, and analytic tools as used by the U.S. Sentinel System to examine the same drug-outcome associations in the TSDM-formatted NHIRD. Four known drug-outcome associations previously examined by the U.S. Sentinel System were selected as the use cases: (1) use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and risk of angioedema, (2) use of warfarin and risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, (3) use of oral clindamycin and risk of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), and (4) use of glyburide and risk of serious hypoglycemia. We followed the same study designs and analytic choices used by the U.S. Sentinel System and applied the Sentinel Routine Querying Tools to answer the same study questions within the TSDM-formatted NHIRD. The results showed that ACEIs were associated with a non-significant increase in risk of angioedema compared to beta-blockers (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-1.64); warfarin was associated with a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding compared to statins (HR: 1.72; 1.50-1.98); glyburide was associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia compared to glipizide (HR: 1.61, 1.30-2.00). We were unable to evaluate the association between oral clindamycin and risk of CDI due to the low event number. Our study demonstrated that it was feasible to directly apply the publicly available Sentinel Routine Querying Tools within the TSDM-formatted NHIRD. However, sources of heterogeneity other than design and analytic differences should be carefully considered when comparing the results between the two systems.

COVID-19 severity is associated with the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding

ObjectiveThe association between the severity of COVID-19 and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is unknown. This study aimed to determine whether the severity of COVID-19 is a risk factor for GI bleeding.DesignA...

Gastrointestinal bleeding with direct oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and anaemia

IntroductionA high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding has been reported with the use of some direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). This risk may be of particular concern in individuals with associated anaemia. The aim of this study is to investigate potential differences in the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and stroke among the four available DOACs in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and moderate or severe anaemia. Materials and methodsAll Danish patients diagnosed with incident AF who had a baseline haemoglobin measurement and subsequently initiated DOAC therapy between 2012 and 2021 were identified through administrative registries. Only patients with moderate or severe anaemia (N = 7269) were included and evaluated regarding the risk of hospitalization for gastrointestinal bleeding and stroke. Standardized absolute 1-year risks of stroke and gastrointestinal bleeding were calculated from multivariable Cox regression analyses. DOACs were compared pairwise ResultsCompared with apixaban, both dabigatran and rivaroxaban were associated with a significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding with standardized 1-year risk ratios of 1.73 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.10–2.35) and 1.56 (95 % CI, 1.18–1.93), respectively, while no significant difference was seen in the comparison of apixaban with edoxaban 1.32 (95 % CI, 0.41–2.32). No significant differences in gastrointestinal bleeding were observed with pairwise comparisons of dabigatran, rivaroxaban and edoxaban. Finally, no significant difference in stroke risk among the four DOACs was observed. ConclusionIn AF patients with moderate or severe anaemia, apixaban was associated with a significantly lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding than dabigatran and rivaroxaban. No significant difference in stroke risk was observed across all four available DOACs.

Comparison of Ticagrelor Monotherapy and Ticagrelor plus Aspirin Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Combined with High-Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding after PCI: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

No studies to date have specifically examined the efficacy of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients exhibiting a high risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This was a retrospective cohort study of ACS exhibiting a high GI bleeding risk after PCI admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from August 2016-December 2019. Of the 308 enrolled patients, 269 were found eligible and were assigned to the ticagrelor monotherapy (TIC) arm (n=128) and to ticagrelor plus aspirin(TIC+ASP) arm (n=141) treatment for a 1-year period. The primary study outcome was a composite endpoint including bleeding academic research consortium (BARC) type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding and adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events. 8 (6.3%) in the TIC group and 14 (9.9%) in the combination treatment group reached the primary ischemic endpoint within 1 year with no significant difference between these groups. BARC type 2/3/5 bleeding events affected significantly more patients in the combination group relative to the TIC group (38[27.0%] vs 11[8.6%], P <0.001). As the follow-up interval was prolonged, the cumulative BARC type 2/3/5 bleeding incidence in the TIC group remained significantly below that in the combination treatment group (P<0.05). These results indicate that TIC is associated with a lower risk of clinically relevant bleeding events among ACS with a high risk of GI bleeding after PCI relative to combination TIC+ASP treatment, while ischemic outcomes in these two groups were similar.

Aortic Stenosis and Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background Patients with aortic stenosis (AS) have been underrepresented in the trials evaluating direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to assess whether AS impacts outcomes in patients with AF and estimate the effects of DOACs versus warfarin in patients with AF and AS. Methods and Results The registry-based FinACAF (Finnish Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation) study covered all patients with AF diagnosed during 2007 to 2018 in Finland. Hazard ratios (HRs) of first-ever gastrointestinal bleeding, intracranial bleeding, any bleeding, ischemic stroke, and death were estimated with cause-specific hazards regression adjusted for anticoagulant exposure variables. We identified 183 946 patients (50.5% women; mean age, 71.7 [SD, 13.5] years) with incident AF without prior bleeding or ischemic stroke, of whom 5231 (2.8%) had AS. The crude incidence rate of all outcomes was higher in patients with AS than in patients without AS. After propensity score matching, AS was associated with the hazard of any bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, and death but not with intracranial bleeding or ischemic stroke (adjusted HRs, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.25-1.48], 1.63 [95% CI, 1.43-1.86], 1.32 [95% CI, 1.26-1.38], 0.96 [95% CI, 0.78-1.17], and 1.11 [95% CI, 0.99-1.25], respectively). Among patients with AS, DOACs were associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke when compared with warfarin, while bleeding and mortality did not differ between DOACs and warfarin. Conclusions AS is associated with substantially higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with AF. DOACs may be more effective in preventing ischemic stroke than warfarin in patients with AF and AS. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04645537.

Safety and effectiveness of rivaroxaban for prevention of stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: analysis of routine clinical data from four countries

ABSTRACT Background The safety and effectiveness of rivaroxaban versus vitamin K antagonists (standard of care [SOC]) for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) was evaluated in Europe. Research design and methods Observational studies were conducted in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden. Primary safety outcomes were hospitalization for intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, or urogenital bleeding among new users of rivaroxaban and SOC with NVAF; outcomes were analyzed using cohort (rivaroxaban or SOC use) and nested case–control designs (current vs nonuse). Statistical analyses comparing rivaroxaban and SOC cohorts were not performed. Results Overall, 162,919 rivaroxaban users and 177,758 SOC users were identified. In the cohort analysis, incidence ranges for rivaroxaban users were 0.25–0.63 events per 100 person-years for intracranial bleeding, 0.49–1.72 for gastrointestinal bleeding, and 0.27–0.54 for urogenital bleeding. Corresponding ranges for SOC users were 0.30–0.80, 0.30–1.42, and 0.24–0.42, respectively. In the nested case–control analysis, current SOC use generally presented a greater risk of bleeding outcomes than nonuse. Rivaroxaban use (vs nonuse) was associated with a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, but a similar risk of intracranial or urogenital bleeding, in most countries. Ischemic stroke incidence ranged from 0.31 to 1.52 events per 100 person-years for rivaroxaban users. Conclusions Incidences of intracranial bleeding were generally lower with rivaroxaban than with SOC, whereas incidences of gastrointestinal and urogenital bleeding were generally higher. The safety profile of rivaroxaban for NVAF in routine practice is consistent with findings from randomized controlled trials and other studies.

Inappropriate Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors Increases Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

Antiplatelet drugs, as the cornerstone of the treatment of coronary heart disease, control the progression of the disease, but bring a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. Relevant guidelines recommend the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to minimize the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy. But for people at low risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, the harms associated with routine use of PPIs may far outweigh the benefits. PPIs increase the risk of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, inhibit the effect of antiplatelet drugs, impair vascular endothelial function, meanwhile induce hypomagnesemia, iron deficiency, vitamins D and K deficiency, etc. Eventually, PPIs may lead to an increase in cardiovascular events. However, the situation is that PPIs are often overused. This review elucidates the mechanisms by which PPIs increase cardiovascular events, thereby reminding clinicians to rationally prescribe PPIs.

Many People Take Proton Pump Inhibitor Unnecessarily: Reflecting On Why to Consider Deprescribing.

It is no secret that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is common. Around 10% of the general population in some countries take a PPI. That number can climb up to 25% if we look at older people specifically. For most indications, PPIs are recommended for up to 8 weeks, though some people will need them beyond that period (eg, those with high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, Barrett's esophagus, severe esophagitis, among other reasons). We know that PPIs are often taken for longer than needed or get started when they were never needed in the first place. Most studies looking at rates of unnecessary PPI use suggest around 50% of PPI users take them without ongoing need. Sometimes people stay on PPIs for years unnecessarily.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to NOACs Use: Exploring the Molecular Mechanisms.

Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are drugs approved for the prevention and treatment of many thromboembolic cardiovascular conditions as a safer alternative to warfarin. We reviewed studies published in PubMed®, UpToDate®, Web of Science®, and Cochrane® about NOACs' risks and benefits in patients requiring anticoagulation, with a focus on gastrointestinal bleeding and on molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the risk of bleeding in patients treated with them. Apixaban resulted in a lower rate of gastrointestinal bleeding compared to dabigatran and rivaroxaban. However, data reported that gastrointestinal bleeding in patients treated with NOACs was less severe compared to warfarin. Studies show promising results on the increased and widespread use of NOACs in patients who require anticoagulation (for example-in case of atrial fibrillation or high risk of venous thromboembolism), reporting an overall lower risk of major bleeding events. The profile of NOACs was more effective and secure compared to warfarin, but a more careful medical prescription is required in patients who are at high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Abstract 12967: Early Gastrointestinal Bleeding is Most Common Hemorrhagic Complication After Watchman Implantation

Introduction: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman device is increasingly used for patients with an indication for anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (AF) and a contraindication to long term anticoagulation. Real world early outcomes in this high-risk patient population are scarce. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated a healthcare system registry of 1200 patients who underwent LAAO with Watchman 2.5 or FLX between 10/2018 and 8/2021 and included 849 patients with 6-month follow-up. We classified complications in 3 distinct categories (immediate procedural, 6-week post-procedural and 6-month post-procedural) and tracked all thromboembolism, hemorrhage and mortality that occurred after the immediate procedural complications. Results: Mean age was 77.6 ± 8.3 years old, 49% were female, 68% had paroxysmal AF, mean CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc was 5.0 ± 1.4, and mean HAS-BLED was 2.9 ± 1.0. Immediate procedural complication rate was 2.4% (access site n=16; tamponade n=2; esophageal injury n=2). 6-week post-procedural complication rate was 4.2% whereas 6-month post-procedural complication rate was 2.0% (% per 100 patient-months). Overall post-procedural complication rate after 6.2 ± 1.1 months was 2.6% of which 0.3% were thromboembolic, 1.2% were hemorrhagic and 1.1% were mortality events (% per 100 patient-months). Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) made up 39% and 83% of post-procedural and hemorrhagic complications respectively. Time-indexed post-procedural GIB rate was higher during 6-week period compared to 6-month period (1.9% vs. 0.7%, p=0.00003). Patients with most common indication for LAAO (high risk for bleeding or history of major bleeding, 82.0%) had higher odds of post-procedural GIB than those without bleeding indication (7.0% vs. 2.6%, OR=2.8, p=0.02). GIB was not significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions: Post-LAAO complication rate was low and decreased over time when comparing 6-week and 6-month periods in a high-risk patient population. Early GIB was the most common hemorrhagic complication and patients with bleeding indication for LAAO had a higher risk of GIB within the first 6 months after procedure. Further studies targeting ideal antithrombotic regimen after Watchman implantation are needed.

Post-Implant Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Despite the improvement in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) technology and the advent of third-generation LVADs, hemocompatibility-related events remain a significant issue. Therefore, new pharmacological treatments are necessary to optimize patient management and to further reduce hemocompatibility-related events. The purpose of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize the existing data regarding the safety and efficacy of post-implant phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) on hemocompatibility-related events. Methods: Among the 258 articles in Pubmed, Scopus, and CENTRAL that were retrieved (1990–2022), 15 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 9 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. The fixed-effects model was used because it is statistically sound for combining a very small number of studies. The primary endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality, whereas the secondary endpoints were ischemic stroke, pump thrombosis, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Results: Mortality was significantly lower in the PDE-5i group vs. the control group (OR: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.85, 0.98]; p = 0.02). The secondary endpoints ischemic stroke (OR: 0.87 [95% CI: 0.78, 0.98]; p = 0.02) and pump thrombosis (OR: 0.90 [95% CI: 0.82, 0.99]; p = 0.04) were also lower in the PDE-5i group. The incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding was significantly higher in patients with LVAD receiving PDE-5i (OR: 1.26 [95% CI: 1.11, 1.44]; p < 0.01). In the overall analysis, the heterogeneity of outcomes was low, except for pump thrombosis. Conclusions: The use of PDE-5i post-implant was associated with lower mortality and thrombotic events but with a higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Construction and internal validation of a predictive model for risk of gastrointestinal bleeding in children with abdominal Henoch-Schönlein purpura: A single-center retrospective case-control study.

Early identification of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in children with abdominal Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is essential for their subsequent treatment, and a risk prediction model for GI bleeding in abdominal HSP was constructed in this study to assist physicians in their decision-making. In a single-center retrospective study, the children collected were divided into two parts, a training set and a validation set, according to the time of admission. In the training set, univariate analysis was performed to compare demographic data and laboratory tests between the two groups of children with GI and non-GI bleeding, and the independent risk factors were derived using binary logistic equations to develop a scoring model for predicting GI bleeding in children by odds ratio (OR) values and receiver operating characteristic curves. The scoring model was then internally validated in validation set. The results showed that there were 11 indicators were statistically different between the two groups in the training set, including white blood cells, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelets, eosinophils (EO), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), sodium, potassium (K), albumin (ALB), Total bilirubin, and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the univariate analysis. Among them, the independent risk factors for GI bleeding included the six indicators of EO ≤ 0.045×10^9/L, hsCRP ≥ 14.5 mg/L, APTT ≤ 28.1 s, K ≥ 4.18 mmol/L, ALB ≤ 40.6 g/L, and IgE ≥ 136 ng/mL. According to the OR values, where EO ≤ 0.045 ×10^9/L, hsCRP ≥ 14.5 mg/L, APTT ≤ 28.1 s, ALB ≤ 40.6 g/L each scored 3 points, K ≥ 4.18 mmol/L, IgE ≥ 136 ng/mL each scored 2 points, and the total score was 0-16 points. The sensitivity and specificity of predicting GI bleeding were 88.7% and 64.2%, respectively, when the child scored ≥ 7 points. In the validation set, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the model in predicting GI bleeding were 77.4%, 74.5% and 75.2%, respectively. In conclusion, the construction of a scoring model to predict the risk of GI bleeding from abdominal HSP would greatly assist pediatricians in predicting and identifying children at high risk for GI bleeding at an early stage.

Protective effect of proton-pump inhibitor against gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving oral anticoagulants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The evidence of a protective effect of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) in oral anticoagulant (OAC)-treated patients against gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is still lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the risk of GIB in patients with OAC and PPI cotherapy. A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Scopus databases was performed for studies reporting GIB risk in OAC and PPI cotherapy. Primary outcomes were total GIB and major GIB events. Pooled estimates of GIB risk were calculated by a random-effect meta-analysis and reported as odds ratios and 95% confidence interval. A total of 10 studies and 1 970 931 patients were included. OAC and PPI cotherapy were associated with a lower odds of total and major GIB; odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.67 (0.62-0.74) for total and 0.68 (0.63-0.75) for major GIB, respectively. No differences in the GIB of PPI cotherapy were observed between Asians and non-Asians (P-for-difference, total GIB = .70, major GIB = .75, respectively). For all kinds of OAC except for edoxaban, PPI cotreatment was related to lower odds of GIB by 24-44%. The protective effect of PPI on total GIB was more significant in concurrent antiplatelets or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug users and those with high bleeding risks: patients with previous GIB history, HAS-BLED ≥3 or underlying gastrointestinal diseases. In patients who receive OAC, PPI cotherapy is associated with a lower total and major GIB irrespective of ethnic group and OAC type, except for edoxaban. PPI cotherapy can be considered particularly in patients with high risk of GIB.