[Anticoagulation clinics for outpatients: a 5-year experience].
BACKGROUND
Anticoagulation clinics and computerized management of chronic oral anticoagulation increase the time spent in the therapeutic range with both mortality and morbidity reduction. Usually, anticoagulation clinics are hospital-based medical care centers. We report the five-year results from a general medicine center (CSCTA) using a computer-assisted management.


METHODS
A prospective cohort observational study of 530 primary care patients that were receiving long term oral anticoagulation.


RESULTS
Cardiac arrhythmia (55%), heart valve disease and venous thrombo-embolic disease (30%) represented the most common indications of oral anticoagulation. Patients received fluindione, warfarin and acenocoumarol in 80%, 13% and 7%, respectively. The duration of treatment was at least one year in 54% of the cases, and was at least three years in 25% of the cases. The rate of patients that were in average within the therapeutic range (INR 2-3) was 72%, while 12% were under and 16% over the therapeutic range. Corresponding rates were 82, 17 and 1% respectively for all anticoagulation targets (INR 1.5-4.5). Twenty-six bleeding events (4.9 per 100 patient-years) and four thrombotic complications (0.75 per 100 patient-years) occurred. Life-threatening hemorrhage occurred in 1.3 per 100 patient-years. After the equilibration of the anticoagulation, the average delay of control between two consecutive INR was 19 days.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained with CSCTA were similar to those reported by other anticoagulation clinics regarding hemorrhagic complications and time spent in the therapeutic range. In contrast, thrombotic events were less frequent. Because of the absence of a control group, a medico-economic analysis could not be performed.
Benhamou
Y
Y
Département de médecine interne, CHU Bois-Guillaume, 147, avenue du Maréchal-Juin, 7620 Bois-Guillaume, 76031 Rouen cedex, France. ygal.benhamou@chu-rouen.fr
Le Cam-Duchez
V
V
Schneller
J-M
JM
Cailleux
N
N
Magne
J-C
JC
Soubrane
J-C
JC
Borg
J-Y
JY
Lévesque
H
H
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D000925:Anticoagulants