Direct oral anticoagulants in patients with venous thromboembolism and hematological malignancies.

Data are needed on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hematological malignancies (HM). Retrospective studies to date lacked a control group and did not focus on patients with VTE. Out aim was to assess the incidence of VTE recurrence and bleeding in HM patients treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or DOACs for acute VTE. This is a retrospective cohort study including patients with active HM and newly-diagnosed VTE, indexed on the first day of anticoagulation and followed for 12 months. The outcome was a composite of recurrent VTE, major bleeding or clinically relevant non-major bleeding. Cumulative incidence [95% confidence interval (CI)] was calculated for each anticoagulation group (LMWH, DOAC) and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated using cox-proportional hazards model, with death as a competing risk. 143 HM patients treated with LMWH (96) or DOACs (47) for acute VTE were included. The most common HM types were lymphoma in 83 (58%) and plasma cell dyscrasia in 32 (22.3%). The 12-month cumulative incidence of the composite outcome was 24.2% (95% CI 15.9-33.5%; n = 22) in the LMWH group and 18.5% (8.5-31.5%; n = 8) in the DOAC group (HR 1.51 [0.695-3.297]). Two recurrent VTE occurred (both in the DOAC group while off-treatment). Nine (9.4%) LMWH-treated patients had major bleeding compared to 1 (2.1%) DOAC-treated patient (HR 4.85 [0.64-36.56]). This study generates the hypothesis that DOACs may be a safe and effective alternative to LMWH for VTE in patients with HM types represented in the study.

Risk factors for congenital heart defects in two populations residing in the same geographic area: a long-term population-based study, Southern Israel.

BACKGROUND: Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are the most common structural defects of newborns. Southern Israel's population is comprised of Jews (75%) and Arab-Bedouins (25%). The latter has a high rate of consanguinity and low abortion rate compared with the Jewish population, which led us to suspect a higher CHD prevalence in this population. Our aim was to compare maternal risk factors that are associated with CHD in these populations. METHODS: All births during 1991-2011 in Soroka University Medical Center (n = 247, 289) with 6078 newborns having CHD were included. To account for same-woman deliveries, general estimating equation models adjusted for ethnicity, gender and birth number were used. RESULTS: The total prevalence of CHD was 24.6/1000 live births, with 21.4 and 30 among Jewish and Bedouin populations, respectively, (p = 0.001). Multi-variant analysis of risk factors for CHD revealed that risk factors common to both populations included conception with fertility medications, sibling CHD, maternal CHD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and anaemia. Risk factors that were specific for the Bedouin population were - maternal age over 35 years, recurrent pregnancy loss and in vitro fertilisation. However, sibling CHD was more common as a CHD risk factor in the Jewish compared with the Bedouin population (Adjusted OR 10.23 versus 3.19, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CHD is higher in both the Bedouin and Jewish populations than previously reported. Several maternal factors were associated with CHD specifically for a certain population. Risk factors for CHD vary in populations residing in the same geographic area.

Pulmonary artery hypertension following coronary artery bypass grafting: a case report.

Post-operative pulmonary complications in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery are mostly reversible. We report a patient who developed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) post-CABG and did not have pulmonary hypertension prior to surgery. PAH Group 1 was diagnosed after right and left heart catheterization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only reported case of a patient developing PAH post-CABG surgery. This could be explained by immunological and/or haemostatic changes triggered by cardiopulmonary bypass. We hope that as more knowledge is gained regarding the pathophysiology of PAH, cases like these could be better understood.

Elevated birth prevalence of conotruncal heart defects in a population with high consanguinity rate.

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of conotruncal heart defects is poorly understood and the birth prevalence varies geographically. The known risk factors for developing conotruncal heart defects are as follows: CHD in siblings, genetic chromosomal abnormalities, paternal age >30 years, high parity, low birth weight, prematurity, and maternal diabetes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterise conotruncal heart defects, birth prevalence, mortality, and morbidity in the population of southern Israel, of whom 75% are Jewish and the rest are mostly Bedouin Arabs. METHODS: The data were obtained from Soroka University Medical Center database of births and newborns. Conotruncal heart defects cases were identified by ICD9 codes. RESULTS: During 1991-2011, there were 247,290 singleton live births and 393 conotruncal heart defects in Soroka University Medical Center. The birth prevalence per 10,000 live births of tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, and truncus arteriosus was 9.5, 5, and 1.8, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, Bedouin descent (adjusted odds ratio 2.40, p35 years (1.66, p=0.004), and siblings with congenital heart defects (1.98, p=0.005) were associated with tetralogy of Fallot, and Bedouin descent (1.61, p=0.05), siblings with congenital heart defects (2.19, p=0.004), and diabetes mellitus (7.15, p<0.001) were associated with transposition of the great arteries. In a univariate analysis, Bedouin descent (p=0.004) and congenital heart defects in siblings (p<0.001) were associated with truncus arteriosus. CONCLUSION: We observed higher birth prevalence of conotruncal heart defects compared with the birth prevalence reported worldwide, specifically among the Bedouins, a population characterised with high consanguinity rate. Therefore, genetic counselling and early fetal echocardiograms should be encouraged, especially in high consanguinity rate populations. Naturally, further educational efforts are needed in order to decrease consanguinity and its related consequences.