Anticoagulant-related bleeding in patients with heart failure in combination with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and atrial fibrillation. Experience with Idarucizumab

Abstract

Aim. To study the characteristics of direct oral anticoagulant-related bleeding in patients with heart failure in combination with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atrial fibrillation. To show the efficacy of idarucizumab in complex therapy of severe gastrointestinal bleeding caused by dabigatran.Material and methods. The single-center prospective observational study included 150 patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation treated with direct oral anticoagulants. Of these patients, 75 had heart failure in combination with COPD (experimental group) and 75 — HF without comorbidities (comparison group). Groups were formed by propensity score matching. Sex, age, bleeding risk by HAS-BLED score were covariates. HF was diagnosed in accordance with the criteria applied by Russian Federal clinical guidelines. COPD was diagnosed according to GOLD 2011-2020 criteria. Frequency of all bleeding, major bleeding, bleeding into critical organs were evaluated. Follow-up period was 14 (12; 16) months. Cox regression method was used to determine relationships.Results. Annual rate of major bleeding in group of HF and COPD was higher (Hazard ratio (HR) 3,0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1,1-6,2, р=0,02), regardless of which anticoagulant was used. Gastrointestinal bleeding occurs in 7 (9,3%) and 2 (2,7%) patients (HR 3,5, 95% CI 1,1-7,3, р=0,05). In subjects with comorbidity, major and gastrointestinal bleeding were associated with partial pressure of arterial oxygen (HR 0,89, 95% CI 0,55-0,95 and HR 0,88, 95% CI 0,50-0,98 respectively), serum NT-pro-BNP (HR 1,10, 95% CI 1,05-2,14 and HR 1,14, 95% CI 0,07-4,28, respectively) and chemokine ligand 18 (HR 1,15, 95% CI 1,11-5,75 and HR 1,13, 95% CI 1,09-4,50). A case of successful use of idarucizumab for reversal of dabigatran anticoagulant effect in the patient with severe bleeding from esophageal erosion, nonvalvular AF, HF and COPD was reported. Coagulation was restored within 4 hours, which allowed to stop bleeding conservatively and antishock measures were effective.Conclusion. Anticoagulation therapy in patients with AF and comorbidity of HF and COPD is associated with additional risk of major bleeding, especially gastrointestinal. Possibility to reverse the anticoagulant effect is an important argument when choosing an anticoagulant for these patients.

Keywords

• direct oral anticoagulants
• bleeding
• idarucizumab