title: Patterns and Predictors of Use of Anticoagulants for the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism Following Approval of Rivaroxaban.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have identified patterns and predictors of use of direct oral anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism (VTE).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the use of anticoagulants and assess predictors associated with the prescription of rivaroxaban over vitamin K antagonist (VKA) for the subsequent treatment of VTE.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was built with all consecutive patients newly diagnosed with acute VTE admitted between February 18, 2013, and September 18, 2013, in an academic tertiary care center in Quebec, Canada. Patient characteristics and VTE treatments were described. Univariate analyses and a multiple forward stepwise logistic regression were performed to assess predictors of rivaroxaban use over VKA for the subsequent treatment of VTE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 256 patients, 36.7% with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 63.3% with pulmonary embolism (PE). Mean age was 63.1 years, and 28.1% of patients had cancer-associated VTE. Overall, rivaroxaban was prescribed in 1.6% of patients for the initial treatment and in nearly 20% of patients for the subsequent treatment of VTE. Low-molecular-weight heparin and VKA were mostly prescribed. Independent predictors associated with the prescription of rivaroxaban over VKA were as follows: age < 65 years (OR: 2.86, 95% CI 1.29-6.37), a diagnosis of DVT versus PE (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.20-5.40), and an emergency department visit rather than a hospitalization (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.06-4.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several months following its availability, rivaroxaban was rarely prescribed for acute VTE disease. It also appears to be prescribed in different patient populations than VKA.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Roxanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dault
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.|Research Center, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanasse
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.|Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.|Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perreault
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.|Department of Cardiology, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farand
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Templier
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada marie-france.beauchesne@umontreal.ca.|Research Center, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.|Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.|Department of Pharmacy, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Beauchesne
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069552:Rivaroxaban / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin; D000069552:Rivaroxaban
keywords: anticoagulant drugs; choice behavior; rivaroxaban; venous thromboembolism; warfarin