Stroke, Bleeding, and Mortality Risks in Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries Treated With Dabigatran or Rivaroxaban for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

JAMA Internal Medicine

This analysis of 118 891 atrial fibrillation patients taking rivaroxabanor dabigatran reports that those treated with rivaroxaban were more likely to experience both intracranial haemorrhage or major extracranial bleeding than those treated with dabigatran.

The Handbook of Perioperative Medicines

UK Clinical Pharmacy Association

This handbook, in the form of drug monographs, contains information on how medicines are to be managed in the peri-operative period. It has been developed collaboratively by clinical pharmacy experts, to address the need for a national guidance for healthcare professionals.

International clinical practice guidelines including guidance for direct oral anticoagulants in the treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer

The Lancet Oncology

In this review, the authors provide the first evidence-based international guidelines on direct oral anticoagulant use in the treatment of VTE. These guidelines
aim to address in-hospital and outpatient cancer-associated VTE in specific subgroups of patients with cancer.

Low-molecular-weight heparin and recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomised controlled trials

The Lancet

Review of 8 RCTs (n=963) found that low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) does not seem to reduce risk of recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications vs. no LMWH in at-risk women. However some decreases in event rates might have been too small for power of study to explore.

The above records have been identified by UKMi and feature in the NICE Medicines Awareness Service. Further details on this service can be found at:

http://www.evidence.nhs.uk/about-evidence-services/content-and-sources/medicines-information/new-medicines-awareness-services