Gastrointestinal bleeding on anticoagulant therapy: Comparison of patients receiving vitamin K antagonists and non-vitamin K oral antagonists

Abstract

Objectives:  Prior studies comparing gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in patients receiving vitamin-K antagonists (VKA) and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC) focused on the crude rate of GI bleeding and less on severity of such events. The aim of our study was to assess characteristics of GI bleeding in patients on VKA therapy versus NOAC therapy.

Methods:  Retrospective data collected from patients hospitalized with GI bleeding at Hadassah University Medical Center between January 2010 and July 2017. Retrieved data included demographics, laboratory results, clinical outcomes, and details regarding the bleeding characteristics, evaluation, treatment and hospitalization. Patients divided into two groups – those receiving VKA and those receiving NOAC.

Results:  514 patients who presented with GI bleeding were included. 439 patients were on VKA treatment and 75 on NOAC treatment. Atrial fibrillation was the indication for anticoagulation in 64% of VKA patients and in 91% of NOAC patients. The mean HAS-BLED score was the same in VKA and NOAC patient groups. Major bleeding events were seen in 38.3% of VKA patients and 30.7% of NOAC patients and life-threatening bleeding was seen in 34.4% of VKA patients and 26.7% of NOAC (p<0.05). Packed red blood cell and fresh-frozen plasma transfusions were administered less in the NOAC patients as compared to the VKA patients. No statistically significant differences in length of hospitalization, re-bleeding, or mortality were seen between groups.

Conclusions: GI bleeding events on NOAC therapy are less severe and use fewer hospital resources as compared to those treated with VKA.