1. Managing Anti-Platelet Therapy in Thrombocytopaenic Patients with Haematological Malignancy: A Multinational Clinical Vignette-Based Experiment
- Author
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Erik A M Beckers, Arina J. ten Cate-Hoek, Avi Leader, Anna Falanga, Cinzia Giaccherini, Galia Spectre, Pia Raanani, Vincent ten Cate, Hugo ten Cate, David Pereg, Harry C. Schouten, Leader, A, Ten Cate, V, Ten Cate-Hoek, A, Spectre, G, Beckers, E, Raanani, P, Giaccherini, C, Pereg, D, Schouten, H, Falanga, A, Ten Cate, H, RS: Carim - B04 Clinical thrombosis and Haemostasis, RS: CARIM - R1.04 - Clinical thrombosis and haemostasis, Interne Geneeskunde, RS: CAPHRI - R5 - Optimising Patient Care, Epidemiologie, Biochemie, MUMC+: MA Hematologie (9), RS: Carim - B01 Blood proteins & engineering, RS: CARIM - R1.01 - Blood proteins & engineering, RS: GROW - R3 - Innovative Cancer Diagnostics & Therapy, MUMC+: MA Alg Interne Geneeskunde (9), and MUMC+: HVC Pieken Trombose (9)
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,2013 ACCF/AHA GUIDELINE ,Myocardial Infarction ,arterial thrombosis ,SECONDARY PREVENTION ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,anti-platelet agents, arterial thrombosis, cancer , thrombocytopaenia ,Random Allocation ,0302 clinical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Medicine ,Poisson Distribution ,Israel ,thrombocytopaenia ,Netherlands ,Hematology ,Thrombosis ,Community hospital ,Italy ,Hematologic Neoplasms ,symbols ,Blood Platelets ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Gastrointestinal bleeding ,Decision Making ,Cardiology ,Hemorrhage ,CANCER-PATIENTS ,Platelet Transfusion ,AMERICAN-COLLEGE ,anti-platelet agents ,03 medical and health sciences ,symbols.namesake ,Internal medicine ,cancer ,PLATELET TRANSFUSIONS ,Humans ,ASSOCIATION TASK-FORCE ,Poisson regression ,CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS ,VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM ,business.industry ,Unstable angina ,ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROMES ,ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION ,medicine.disease ,Thrombocytopenia ,Confidence interval ,030104 developmental biology ,Platelet transfusion ,Relative risk ,business ,Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - Abstract
Data on anti-platelet therapy (APT) for prevention of atherothrombotic events in thrombocytopaenic cancer patients is lacking. We aimed to identify patient and physician characteristics associated with APT management in thrombocytopaenic patients with haematological malignancy. A clinical vignette-based experiment was designed. Eleven haematologists were interviewed, identifying five variable categories. Next, 18 hypothetical vignettes were generated. Each physician received three vignettes and chose to: hold all APT; continue APT without platelet transfusion support; or continue APT with platelet transfusion support. The survey was distributed to haematologists and thrombosis specialists in three countries. Multivariate cluster robust Poisson regression models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) of using one management option (over the other) for each variable in comparison to a reference variable. A total of 145 physicians answered 434 cases. Clinicians were more likely to hold APT in case of 20,000/µL platelets (vs. 40,000/µL; RR for continuing: 0.82 [95% confidence interval: 0.75–0.91]), recent major gastrointestinal bleeding (vs. none; RR 0.81 [0.72–0.92]) and when the physician worked at a university-affiliated community hospital (vs. non-academic community hospital; RR 0.84 [0.72–0.98]). Clinicians were more likely to continue APT in ST elevation myocardial infarction with dual APT (vs. unstable angina with single APT; RR 1.31 [1.18–1.45]) and when there were institutional protocols guiding management (vs. none; RR 1.15 [1.03–1.27]). When APT was continued, increased platelet transfusion targets were used in 34%. In summary, the decision process is complex and affected by multiple patient and physician characteristics. Platelet transfusions were frequently chosen to support APT, although no evidence supports this practice.
- Published
- 2019