Statins and Risk of Thrombosis in Critically ill Patients with COVID-19: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Coagulation abnormalities are one of the most important complications of severe COVID-19, which might lead to venous thromboembolism (VTE). Hypercoagulability with hyperfibrinogenemia causes large vessel thrombosis and major thromboembolic sequelae. Statins are potentially a potent adjuvant therapy in COVID-19 infection due to their pleiotropic effect. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of statins in reducing the risk of thrombosis among hospitalized critically ill patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study of all critically ill adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) between March 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Eligible patients were categorized based on their usage of statins throughout their ICU stay and were matched with a propensity score. The primary endpoint was the odds of all cases of thrombosis; other outcomes were considered secondary. RESULTS: A total of 1039 patients were eligible; following propensity score matching, 396 patients were included (1:1 ratio). The odds of all thrombosis cases and VTE events did not differ significantly between the two groups (OR 0.84 (95% CI 0.43, 1.66), P = 0.62 and OR 1.13 (95% CI 0.43, 2.98), P = 0.81, respectively. On multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, patients who received statin therapy had lower 30-day (HR 0.72 (95 % CI 0.54, 0.97), P = 0.03) and in-hospital mortality (HR 0.67 (95 % CI 0.51, 0.89), P = 0.007). Other secondary outcomes were not statistically significant between the two groups except for D-dimer levels (peak) during ICU stay. CONCLUSION: The use of statin therapy during ICU stay was not associated with thrombosis reduction in critically ill patients with COVID-19; however, it has been associated with survival benefits.

Capecitabine and Warfarin Interaction: A Case Report With Review of Literature and Management Options.

Capecitabine is an orally active prodrug of 5-fluorouracil with improved safety and efficacy that is extensively used as an antineoplastic agent. It is converted to 5-Fluorouracil in the liver and tumor tissues. In vitro assays did not reveal any significant potential for interaction between capecitabine and its metabolites with warfarin. However, several reports provided clinical evidence of such interaction resulting in an elevated international normalized ratio (INR) and bleeding. Here, we report another case of capecitabine and warfarin concurrent administration that resulted in sub- or supra- therapeutic INR without any bleeding episode or venous-thromboembolic event through the follow-up period. Moreover, a review of available management options is also presented in this paper.

Medication Adherence and Treatment Satisfaction Among Renal Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that patients who are more satisfied with their treatment show better adherence with the prescribed therapy. Although there is valuable data about medication adherence among renal transplant recipients (RTRs), there is a limited literature about their treatment satisfaction and its relation to adherence. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors that can predict medication adherence and to explore the relationship between treatment satisfaction and medication adherence in renal transplant recipients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Adult RTRs were included in the study using convenient sampling. The participants were asked to complete the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and Treatment Satisfaction Scale TSQM 1.4 in addition to several socio-demographic and treatment-related data. The results were statistically analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression modelling in a stepwise procedure. RESULTS A total of 151 RTRs were included in the study, of which 52 were classified as adherent (34%). Univariate analysis showed that, in comparison with non-adherent RTRs, the adherent group demonstrated significantly higher satisfaction scores in the domains of convenience (96.6±8.7 vs. 85.3±19.3), side effects (95.9±14.1 vs. 82.6±24.1), and global satisfaction (93.4±9.8 vs. 86.7±16.7), while they had marginally higher satisfaction scores in the effectiveness domain (90.4±11.6 vs. 86.5±14.5). Results from multiple logistic regression showed that higher likelihood of adherence was significantly associated with increased satisfaction score in the convenience domain [AOR=1.76, 95% CI=(1.21, 2.55); p=0.003] and marginally related to increased satisfaction scores in the side effects domain [AOR=1.31, 95% CI=(0.99, 1.74); p=0.061]. Male RTRs were significantly more likely to be adherent than female RTRs [AOR=2.23, 95% CI=(1.02, 4.84); p=0.043]. CONCLUSIONS Although the adherence rate among RTRs is relatively low, males and RTRs who reported higher treatment satisfaction (convenience and side effects domains) showed better medication adherence. It is recommended that interventional programs for the improvement of dialysis patient adherence should be developed, in addition to designing strategies to improve treatment convenience and knowledge of medication side effects.