Perioperative Bridging Anticoagulation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is uncertain whether bridging anticoagulation is necessary for patients with atrial fibrillation who need an interruption in warfarin treatment for an elective operation or other elective invasive procedure. We hypothesized that forgoing bridging anticoagulation would be noninferior to bridging with low-molecular-weight heparin for the prevention of perioperative arterial thromboembolism and would be superior to bridging with respect to major bleeding.

Methods

We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which, after perioperative interruption of warfarin therapy, patients were randomly assigned to receive bridging anticoagulation therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin (100 IU of dalteparin per kilogram of body weight) or matching pla

SUBMITTER: Douketis JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4931686 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature