National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
This guideline covers interventions in the acute stage of a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). It offers the best clinical advice on the diagnosis and acute management of stroke and TIA in the 48 hours after onset of symptoms.
Outpatient versus inpatient treatment for acute pulmonary embolism
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Low‐quality evidence (2 RCTs; n= 451) suggests that there is no clear difference between the interventions in overall mortality, bleeding and recurrence of pulmonary embolism.
Optimal Timing of P2Y12 Inhibitor Loading in Patients Undergoing PCI: A Meta-Analysis
Thrombosis and Haemostasis
Review of 23 studies (n=60,907) reported that early P2Y12 inhibitor loading (> 2 hours pre-PCI) was associated with better outcomes vs versus late (< 2 hours pre-PCI or post-PCI; RRR; 22% for MACE, 30% for MI, 25% for death; all p<0.001), without an impact on major bleeding.
JAMA Neurology
Secondary analysis of POINT RCT (n= 4881) reported a low risk of major hemorrhages in patients receiving either clopidogrel plus aspirin or aspirin alone (0.9% vs 0.2%; HR, 3.57; P = 0.003; NNH, 159). However, risk was still increased with dual therapy vs aspirin monotherapy.
Arthritis & Rheumatology
Review of 2 databases (n=50,865) found that occurrence of venous thromboembolism when initiating treatment with tofacitinib or a TNF inhibitor was infrequent (<1 per 100 person‐years), with no statistically significant difference in risk between the two treatments.
Circulation
This review discusses developments in the roles of platelets and coagulation factors in atherothrombosis and addresses the rationale and clinical evidence for combining antiplatelet and oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with coronary and peripheral artery disease.
The Lancet
Analysis (20 RCTs;n=26,616) found risk of primary outcome was reduced with new-generation drug-eluting vs. bare-metal stents (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.78–0.90,p<0·001) due to reduced risk of MI (HR 0·79,0·71–0·88;p<0.001) and possible slight but non-significant cardiac mortality benefit.
Circulation
Paper describes the derivation and validation of a prediction model for ischaemic stroke/ systemic embolism (SE) and major bleeding in patients with AF from the 3 treatment arms of the RE-LY trial (n=11,955 in derivation cohort, n=6,158 in validation cohort).
Atrial fibrillation type and renal dysfunction as important predictors of left atrial thrombus
Heart
In a real-world population of patients with AF, most on oral anticoagulation, left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus was found in ~6%. Two variables not included in CHA2DS2-VASc score (AF type and renal dysfunction) proved strong, independent predictors of LAA thrombus.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Study of 227 patients with mean CHA2DS2-VASc score 4.3, and HAS-BLED score 2.3, found negligible correlation between patient perceived and estimated risk of stroke (r=0.07; p=0.32), and bleeding (r=0.16; p=0.02). Most patients overestimated their risks of stroke and bleeding.
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
