title: Antithrombotic therapy in children and adolescents.
abstract: This report documents our experience with long term antithrombotic therapy (acenocoumarol plus aspirin) in 31 children and adolescents, from 5 months to 16 years of age. The valves replaced were mitral in 20 patients, aortic in 4, mitral-aortic in 4 and tricuspid in 3; the overall follow-up time was of 1336 months. Anticoagulant requirement in each children was not in correlation with age, but a significant increase (p less than 0.01) was found in association with sexual development. Our total incidence of embolic episodes was 1.49/1000 patient-months. The embolic incidence on adequate anticoagulated patients was 0.74/1000 patient-months and 93.7% of all patients were free of thrombo-embolic accidents up to 96 months of follow-up. Minor haemorrhage in relation to an excess of anticoagulant was 1.49/1000 patient-months. There has been only one major bleeding episode associated with severe sepsis, with an incidence of 0.74/1000 patient-months. No major difficulties were found in the management of anticoagulant treatment and its association with antiplatelet drugs in children.
mesh_terms: D000074:Acenocoumarol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D000074:Acenocoumarol; D001241:Aspirin