Safety and low molecular weight heparin in older people in a hospital with ambulatory care.
To examine major bleeding and mortality rates of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and unfractionated heparin (UFH) for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and/or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a retrospective review of the medical records for 286 patients who presented at a local hospital with PE and/or DVT during the period November 2002-August 2003 was performed.


METHODS
presence of co-morbidities, concurrent medications, presence, site and severity of bleeding, outcome. Of all the patients, 50.7% received LMWH plus warfarin, 21.0% received UFH plus LMWH plus warfarin, 14.0% received UFH and warfarin, and 9.8% received LMWH only. There were nine minor bleeds and six major bleeds, which resulted in four deaths. Being a hospitalized patient and being age > or =70 years were associated with a major bleed (p<0.05). For hospital inpatients age > or =70 years on UFH and LMWH the number of major bleeds/1000 patient days was 18.9 and 9.2, respectively. The major bleeding rate is comparable if not better than that reported in the literature in our hospital setting where nearly half of the anticoagulation services were provided as ambulatory care. The increased rate of bleeding in the elderly we found is consistent with the findings of previous studies.
Chan
Daniel K Y
DK
Department of Aged Care & Rehabilitation, Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, University of New South Wales, Locked Bag 1600, Bankstown, NSW 2200, Australia. daniel.chan@swsahs.nsw.gov.au
Ong
Bin
B
Almafragy
Hamid
H
Karr
Margaret
M
Hung
Arthur W T
AW
Liu
Jun G
JG
D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000925:Anticoagulants; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D014859:Warfarin; D006493:Heparin