Myelodysplastic Neoplasms (MDS) with Ring Sideroblasts or SF3B1 Mutations: The Improved Clinical Utility of World Health Organization and International Consensus Classification 2022 Definitions, a Single-Centre Retrospective Chart Review.

Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) with ring sideroblasts (RS) are diagnosed via bone marrow aspiration in the presence of either (i) ≥15% RS or (ii) 5-14% RS and an SF3B1 mutation. In the MEDALIST trial and in an interim analysis of the COMMANDS trial, lower-risk MDS-RS patients had decreased transfusion dependency with luspatercept treatment. A total of 6817 patients with suspected hematologic malignancies underwent molecular testing using a next-generation-sequencing-based genetic assay and 395 MDS patients, seen at our centre from 1 January 2018 to 31 May 2023, were reviewed. Of these, we identified 39 evaluable patients as having lower-risk MDS with SF3B1 mutations: there were 20 (51.3%) males and 19 (48.7%) females, with a median age of 77 years (range of 57 to 92). Nineteen (48.7%) patients had an isolated SF3B1 mutation with a mean variant allele frequency of 35.2% +/- 8.1%, ranging from 7.4% to 46.0%. There were 29 (74.4%) patients with ≥15% RS, 6 (15.4%) with 5 to 14% RS, one (2.6%) with 1% RS, and 3 (7.7%) with no RS. Our study suggests that a quarter of patients would be missed based on the morphologic criterion of only using RS greater than 15% and supports the revised 2022 definitions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus Classification (ICC), which shift toward molecularly defined subtypes of MDS and appropriate testing.

Serologic Response to Vaccine for COVID-19 in Patients with Hematologic Malignancy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hematological cancers have increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, and these patients show attenuated vaccine responses. This study aimed to characterize the longitudinal humoral immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with hematological malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study, collecting samples from March 2021 to July 2022, from patients seen at a cancer treatment center in London, Ontario, Canada, who met the following eligibility criteria: age ≥18 years, diagnosed with a hematological malignancy, recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine during the study period, and able to provide informed consent. RESULTS: Median anti-S titers (MST) were 0.0, 64.0, and 680.5 U/mL following first (V1), second (V2), and third (V3) vaccine doses, respectively. Patients with lymphoid malignancies' response to vaccination was attenuated compared to myeloid malignancy patients after V2 and V3 (P < .001, P < .01). Active treatment was associated with lower antibody titers (MST 10) compared to treatment 12-24 months (MST 465, P = .04367) and >24 months (MST 1660.5, P = .0025) prior to vaccination. V3 significantly increased antibody titers compared to V2 for patients less than 3 months from treatment. Increasing age was associated with smaller antibody response following V2 (P < .05), but not following V3. Patients receiving anti-CD20 therapy did not demonstrate increased antibody titer levels after V3 (V2 MST 0, V3 MST 0; P > .05). CONCLUSION: We report an attenuated serologic response to COVID-19 vaccination in our study population of patients with hematological malignancy. The immune response to vaccination was affected by patient age, diagnosis, treatment, and timing of treatment exposure.

An Approach to the Investigation of Thrombocytosis: Differentiating between Essential Thrombocythemia and Secondary Thrombocytosis.

Background: Thrombocytosis is a common reason for referral to Hematology. Differentiating between secondary causes of thrombocytosis and essential thrombocythemia (ET) is often clinically challenging. A practical diagnostic approach to identify secondary thrombocytosis could reduce overinvestigation such as next generation sequencing (NGS) panel. Methods and Results: All adult patients with thrombocytosis (≥450 × 109/L) who underwent molecular testing at a single tertiary care centre between January 1, 2018 and May 31, 2021 were evaluated. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared between patients with secondary thrombocytosis vs. ET. Clinical variables included smoking, thrombosis, splenectomy, active malignancy, chronic inflammatory disease, and iron deficiency anemia. Laboratory variables included complete blood count (CBC), ferritin, and myeloid mutations detected by NGS. The overall yield of molecular testing was 52.4%; 92.1% of which were mutations in JAK2, CALR, and/or MPL. Clinical factors predictive of ET included history of arterial thrombosis (p < 0.05); active malignancy, chronic inflammatory disease, splenectomy, and iron deficiency were associated with secondary thrombocytosis (p < 0.05). A diagnosis of ET was associated with higher hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), and mean platelet volume (MPV), while secondary thrombocytosis was associated with higher body mass index, white blood cells, and neutrophils (p < 0.01). Conclusion: A practical approach to investigating patients with persistent thrombocytosis based on clinical characteristics such as active malignancy, chronic inflammatory disease, splenectomy, and iron deficiency may assist in accurately identifying patients more likely to have secondary causes of thrombocytosis and reduce overinvestigation, particularly costly molecular testing.

Outpatient consolidation chemotherapy with intermediate dose cytarabine has similar survival and relapses rates in acute myeloid leukemia as compared to high dose cytarabine: A single center analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The last decade has seen advances in delivering outpatient consolidation therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The standard of care involves high-dose cytarabine or intermediate-dose cytarabine, given twice daily for three alternating days. At the London Regional Cancer Program, we have transitioned the administration of outpatient cytarabine to a once-daily regimen over six consecutive days. The outcomes of a longer duration interval of high-dose cytarabine and intermediate-dose cytarabine is currently unknown. This study aims to assess the feasibility of administering a continuous 6-day protocol of high-dose (HDAC-16) and intermediate-dose cytarabine (IDAC-16) consolidation therapy in the outpatient setting. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review to analyze AML patients treated with outpatient high-dose or intermediate-dose cytarabine consolidation therapy at the London Regional Cancer Program from January 1, 2019, through November 1, 2022. The primary objective was to determine the outcomes of the 6-day outpatient administration of once daily high-dose cytarabine or intermediate-dose cytarabine. RESULTS: Forty-five patients received 89 cycles of cytarabine as outpatients; males were 55.6% of the total population, with a median age of ~57 years. Our overall 2-year survival of HDAC-16 (57.1%) and IDAC-16 (83.3%) is consistent with the reported literature. There was no difference in delays, relapse rates, and nonrelapse mortality between both HDAC and IDAC groups. The 2-year relapse free survival was 57.1% for HDAC-16 and 66.7% for IDAC-16. CONCLUSION: Outpatient administration of intermediate-dose cytarabine once daily over six consecutive days results in similar overall survival and relapse rates as compared to high dose cytarabine consolidation chemotherapy. Moving to a once daily administration schedule can alleviate logistical and/or accessibility hurdles for outpatient oncology clinics. Prospective randomized trials are needed in this setting to validate our results.

Acquired Hemophilia A Masquerading as Bleeding on Anticoagulation: A Case Report Including Key Laboratory Considerations.

We report a case of a patient with recurrent hematomas while on anticoagulation for a pulmonary embolism and a prolonged hospital stay due to a delayed diagnosis for acquired hemophilia A. Acquired hemophilia A is a rare autoimmune bleeding disorder with autoantibodies directed against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), leading to an acquired FVIII deficiency. A prolonged isolated activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in a bleeding patient warrants workup for acquired hemophilia A. This is specifically challenging in patients with thrombosis on anticoagulation and can lead to significant delays in diagnosis and associated morbidities. The case highlights the need for further awareness of this disease, potential laboratory pitfalls when conducting and interpreting coagulation assays, and the management considerations in a patient with a simultaneous thrombotic and hemorrhagic condition.

Risk of venous thromboembolism or hemorrhage among individuals with chronic kidney disease on prophylactic anticoagulant after hip or knee arthroplasty.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) confers a high risk of thrombosis and bleeding. However, little evidence exists regarding the optimal choice of postoperative thromboprophylaxis in these patients. We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study among adults ≥66 years old with CKD undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty who had filled an outpatient prophylactic anticoagulant prescription between 2010 and 2020 in Ontario, Canada. The primary outcomes of venous thrombosis (VTE) and hemorrhage were identified by validated algorithms using relevant diagnoses and billing codes. Overlap-weighted cause-specific Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) on the 90-day risk of VTE and hemorrhage compared with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). A total of 27 645 patients were prescribed DOAC (N = 22 943) or LMWH (N = 4702) after arthroplasty. Rivaroxaban was the predominant DOAC (94.5%), while LMWH mainly included enoxaparin (67%) and dalteparin (31.5%). DOAC users had higher eGFRs, fewer co-morbidities, and surgery in more recent years compared to LMWH users. After weighing, DOAC (compared with LMWH) was associated with a lower risk of VTE (DOAC: 1.5% vs. LMWH: 2.1%, weighted hazard ratio [HR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.94) and a higher risk of hemorrhage (DOAC: 1.3% vs. LMWH: 1.0%, weighted HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.04-1.99). Additional analyses including a more stringent VTE defining algorithm, different eGFR cut-offs, and limiting to rivaroxaban and enoxaparin showed consistent findings. Among elderly adults with CKD, DOAC was associated with a lower VTE risk and a higher hemorrhage risk compared to LMWH following hip or knee arthroplasty.

Venous thromboembolism in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A narrative review.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and its treatment has significant effects on morbidity and non-relapse mortality. There is a complex interplay on balancing the risk for thrombosis and bleeding in these patients, making treatment decisions particularly challenging. Despite this, there are currently no validated risk assessment models or guidelines to aid clinical decision making on thromboprophylaxis and VTE treatment in this population of patients. Herein, we review the many risk factors for VTE in HSCT patients, categorized into patient, disease, catheter, treatment, laboratory, and transplant-related variables. This review also discusses current thromboprophylaxis and VTE management strategies in HSCT patients, with scope into the development of risk assessment models that allow for identification of high-risk subgroups who may benefit from targeted intervention.

The risk of major bleeding in patients with factor V Leiden or prothrombin G20210A gene mutation while on extended anticoagulant treatment for venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Thrombophilia predisposes to venous thromboembolism (VTE) because of acquired or hereditary factors. Among them, it has been suggested that gene mutations of the factor V Leiden (FVL) or prothrombin G20210A mutation (PGM) might reduce the risk of bleeding, but little data exist for patients treated using anticoagulants. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether thrombophilia is protective against bleeding. METHODS: This multicentre, multinational, prospective cohort study evaluated adults receiving long-term anticoagulants after a VTE event. We analyzed the incidence of major bleeding as the primary outcome, according to the genotype for FVL and PGM (wild-type and heterozygous/homozygous carriers). RESULTS: Of 2260 patients with genotype testing, during a median follow-up of 3 years, 106 patients experienced a major bleeding event (17 intracranial and 7 fatal). Among 439 carriers of FVL, 19 experienced major bleeding and there were no differences between any mutation vs wild-type (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89 [0.53-1.49]; p = .66). The comparison of major bleeding events between the 158 patients with any-PGM mutation (heterozygous or homozygous) vs wild-type also showed a nonstatistically significant difference with HR of 0.53 (0.19-1.43), p = .21. However, multivariate analysis demonstrated that major bleeds or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding were statistically less likely for patients with either FVL and/or PGM compared with patients with both wild-type factor V and prothrombin genes (HR, 0.73; 95% CI = 0.55-0.97; p = .03). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that thrombophilia, defined as the presence of either FVL or the prothrombin G20210A mutation, is related with a lower rate of major/clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding while on anticoagulants in the extended treatment for VTE.

A Rational Approach to JAK2 Mutation Testing in Patients with Elevated Hemoglobin: Results from the JAK2 Prediction Cohort (JAKPOT) Study.

BACKGROUND: Erythrocytosis, most often measured as an increase in hemoglobin and/or hematocrit, is a common reason for referral to internal medicine and hematology clinics and a rational approach is required to effectively identify patients with polycythemia vera while avoiding over-investigation. AIM: We aimed to develop and validate a simple rule to predict JAK2 mutation positivity based on complete blood count parameters to aid in the diagnostic approach to patients referred for elevated hemoglobin. SETTING: Internal medicine and hematology clinics at an academic tertiary referral center. PARTICIPANTS: The JAK2 Prediction Cohort (JAKPOT), a large retrospective cohort (n = 901) of patients evaluated by internal medicine and hematology specialists for elevated hemoglobin. DESIGN: JAK2 mutation analysis was performed in all patients and clinical and laboratory variables were collected. Patients were randomly divided into derivation and validation cohorts. A prediction rule was developed using data from the derivation cohort and tested in the validation cohort. KEY RESULTS: The JAKPOT prediction rule included three variables: (i) red blood cell count >6.45×1012/L, (ii) platelets >350×109/L, and (iii) neutrophils >6.2×109/L; absence of all criteria was effective at ruling out JAK2-positivity with sensitivities 94.7% and 100%, and negative predictive values of 98.8% and 100% in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively, with an overall low false negative rate of 0.4%. The rule was validated for three different methods of JAK2 testing. Applying this rule to our entire cohort would have resulted in over 50% fewer tests. CONCLUSION: In patients with elevated hemoglobin, the use of a simple prediction rule helps to accurately identify patients with a low likelihood of having a JAK2 mutation, potentially limiting costly over-investigation in this common referral population.

Secondary causes of elevated hemoglobin in patients undergoing molecular testing for suspected polycythemia vera in southwestern Ontario: a chart review.

BACKGROUND: Molecular testing for JAK2 mutations is part of the standard diagnostic workup for patients with suspected polycythemia vera. We sought to characterize evolving practice patterns in the investigation of erythrocytosis and the prevalence of secondary causes, including use of medications such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, among patients who underwent molecular testing. METHODS: We reviewed charts of all consecutive patients investigated for erythrocytosis (hemoglobin > 160 g/L for women, > 165 g/L for men) with JAK2 testing between 2015 and 2021 at London Health Sciences Centre, a tertiary referral centre in Ontario, Canada, to assess changes in rates of JAK2 mutation positivity, average hemoglobin levels and the prevalence of secondary causes of erythrocytosis. RESULTS: A total of 891 patients with erythrocytosis underwent JAK2 mutation testing with an increase in number of tests (particularly from 2017 to 2018), a decrease in the rate of JAK2 positivity and similar average hemoglobin levels over the study period. We observed a high proportion of patients with secondary causes of erythrocytosis, ranging from 59% to 74% over the study period, including medications associated with erythrocytosis, namely testosterone (6%-11%) and SGLT2 inhibitors (2%-19%). Stopping SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with a significant decrease in hemoglobin levels (mean -14.7 g/L, 95% confidence interval -18.9 to -10.5 g/L) compared with continuation. INTERPRETATION: Use of SGLT2 inhibitors may be a common and underrecognized secondary cause of elevated hemoglobin levels in patients investigated for erythrocytosis. Our findings underscore the importance of a detailed medical history to support judicious use of molecular testing, in adherence with the current guideline on the investigation of erythrocytosis.

Venous and Arterial Thrombosis in Ambulatory and Discharged COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction Venous and arterial thromboses are frequently observed complications in patients with severe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection who require hospital admission. In this study, we evaluate the epidemiology of venous and arterial thrombosis events in ambulatory and postdischarge patients with COVID-19 infection. Materials and Method EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched up to July 21, 2021, in addition to other sources. We included studies that assessed the epidemiology of venous and arterial thrombosis events in ambulatory and postdischarge COVID-19 patients. Results A total of 16 studies (102,779 patients) were identified. The overall proportion of venous thromboembolic events in all patients, that is, ambulatory and postdischarge, was 0.80% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-1.28), 0.28% (95% CI: 0.07-0.64), and 1.16% (95% CI: 0.69-1.74), respectively. Arterial events occurred in 0.75% (95% CI: 0.27-1.47) of all patients, 1.45% (95% CI: 1.10-1.86) of postdischarge patients, and 0.23% (95% CI: 0.019-0.66) of ambulatory patients. The pooled incidence rate estimates per 1,000 patient-days for VTE events were 0.06 (95% CI: 0.03-0.08) and 0.12 (95% CI: 0.07-0.19) for outpatients and postdischarge, respectively, whereas for arterial events were 0.10 (95% CI: 0-0.30) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.16-0.37). Conclusion This study found a low risk of venous and arterial thrombi in ambulatory and postdischarge COVID-19 patients, with a higher risk in postdischarge patients compared with ambulatory patients. This suggests that regular universal thromboprophylaxis in these patient populations is probably not necessary.

Which are the optimal thromboprophylaxis strategies for hospitalized patients with COVID-19? current controversies.

Novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) represents a significant risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized with both moderate and severe/critical COVID-19. Herein, we present a brief updated review on emerging robust data on diverse thromboprophylaxis strategies used to mitigate VTE complications, as well as a personal point of view of current controversies in regards the use of therapeutic and prophylactic anticoagulation strategies, particularly in the moderately-ill subgroup of patients with COVID-19.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Health Equity in Oncology: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The field of oncology is at the forefront of advances in artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, providing an opportunity to examine the early integration of these technologies in clinical research and patient care. Hope that AI will revolutionize health care delivery and improve clinical outcomes has been accompanied by concerns about the impact of these technologies on health equity. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to conduct a scoping review of the literature to address the question, "What are the current and potential impacts of AI technologies on health equity in oncology?" METHODS: Following PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines for scoping reviews, we systematically searched MEDLINE and Embase electronic databases from January 2000 to August 2021 for records engaging with key concepts of AI, health equity, and oncology. We included all English-language articles that engaged with the 3 key concepts. Articles were analyzed qualitatively for themes pertaining to the influence of AI on health equity in oncology. RESULTS: Of the 14,011 records, 133 (0.95%) identified from our review were included. We identified 3 general themes in the literature: the use of AI to reduce health care disparities (58/133, 43.6%), concerns surrounding AI technologies and bias (16/133, 12.1%), and the use of AI to examine biological and social determinants of health (55/133, 41.4%). A total of 3% (4/133) of articles focused on many of these themes. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review revealed 3 main themes on the impact of AI on health equity in oncology, which relate to AI's ability to help address health disparities, its potential to mitigate or exacerbate bias, and its capability to help elucidate determinants of health. Gaps in the literature included a lack of discussion of ethical challenges with the application of AI technologies in low- and middle-income countries, lack of discussion of problems of bias in AI algorithms, and a lack of justification for the use of AI technologies over traditional statistical methods to address specific research questions in oncology. Our review highlights a need to address these gaps to ensure a more equitable integration of AI in cancer research and clinical practice. The limitations of our study include its exploratory nature, its focus on oncology as opposed to all health care sectors, and its analysis of solely English-language articles.

Clinical characteristics, multiorgan dysfunction and outcomes of patients with COVID-19: a prospective case series.

BACKGROUND: Characterizing the multiorgan manifestations and outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 will inform resource requirements to address the long-term burden of this disease. We conducted a descriptive analysis using prospectively collected data to describe the clinical characteristics and spectrum of organ dysfunction, and in-hospital and longer-term clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic at a Canadian centre. METHODS: We conducted a prospective case series involving adult patients (aged ≥ 18 yr) with COVID-19 admitted to 1 of 2 hospitals in London, Ontario, from Mar. 17 to June 18, 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. We recorded patients' baseline characteristics, physiologic parameters, measures of organ function and therapies administered during hospitalization among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and in non-ICU settings, and compared the characteristics of hospital survivors and nonsurvivors. Finally, we recorded follow-up thoracic computed tomography (CT) and echocardiographic findings after hospital discharge. RESULTS: We enrolled 100 consecutive patients (47 women) hospitalized with COVID-19, including 32 patients who received ICU care and 68 who received treatment in non-ICU settings. Respiratory sequelae were common: 23.0% received high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula, 9.0% received noninvasive ventilation, 24.0% received invasive mechanical ventilation and 2.0% received venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Overall, 9.0% of patients had cerebrovascular events (3.0% ischemic stroke, 6.0% intracranial hemorrhage), and 6.0% had pulmonary embolism. After discharge, 11 of 19 patients had persistent abnormalities on CT thorax, and 6 of 15 had persistent cardiac dysfunction on echocardiography. INTERPRETATION: This study provides further evidence that COVID-19 is a multisystem disease involving neurologic, cardiac and thrombotic dysfunction, without evidence of hepatic dysfunction. Patients have persistent organ dysfunction after hospital discharge, underscoring the need for research on long-term outcomes of COVID-19 survivors.

Predicting major bleeding during extended anticoagulation for unprovoked or weakly provoked venous thromboembolism.

No clinical prediction model has been specifically developed or validated to identify patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) who are at high risk of major bleeding during extended anticoagulation. In a prospective multinational cohort study of patients with unprovoked VTE receiving extended anticoagulation after completing ≥3 months of initial treatment, we derived a new clinical prediction model using a multivariable Cox regression model based on 22 prespecified candidate predictors for the primary outcome of major bleeding. This model was then compared with modified versions of 5 existing clinical scores. A total of 118 major bleeding events occurred in 2516 patients (annual risk, 1.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-2.1). The incidences of major bleeding events per 100 person-years in high-risk and non-high-risk patients, respectively, were 3.9 (95% CI, 3.0-5.1) and 1.1 (0.8-1.4) using the newly derived creatinine, hemoglobin, age, and use of antiplatelet agent (CHAP) model; 3.3 (2.6-4.1) and 1.0 (0.7-1.3) using modified ACCP score, 5.3 (0.6-19.2) and 1.7 (1.4-2.0) using modified RIETE score, 3.1 (2.3-3.9) and 1.1 (0.9-1.5) using modified VTE-BLEED score, 5.2 (3.3-7.8) and 1.5 (1.2-1.8) using modified HAS-BLED score, and 4.8 (1.3-12.4) and 1.7 (1.4-2.0) using modified outpatient bleeding index score. Modified versions of the ACCP, VTE-BLEED, and HAS-BLED scores help identify patients with unprovoked VTE who are at high risk of major bleeding and should be considered for discontinuation of anticoagulation after 3 to 6 months of initial treatment. The CHAP model may further improve estimation of bleeding risk by using continuous predictor variables, but external validation is required before its implementation in clinical practice.

Rivaroxaban for the treatment of noncirrhotic splanchnic vein thrombosis: an interventional prospective cohort study.

Heparins and vitamin K antagonists are the mainstay of treatment of splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT). Rivaroxaban is a potential alternative, but data to support its use are limited. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rivaroxaban for the treatment of acute SVT. In an international, single-arm clinical trial, adult patients with a first episode of noncirrhotic, symptomatic, objectively diagnosed SVT received rivaroxaban 15 mg twice daily for 3 weeks, followed by 20 mg daily for an intended duration of 3 months. Patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome and those receiving full-dose anticoagulation for >7 days prior to enrollment were excluded. Primary outcome was major bleeding; secondary outcomes included death, recurrent SVT, and complete vein recanalization within 3 months. Patients were followed for a total of 6 months. A total of 103 patients were enrolled; 100 were eligible for the analysis. Mean age was 54.4 years; 64% were men. SVT risk factors included abdominal inflammation/infection (28%), solid cancer (9%), myeloproliferative neoplasms (9%), and hormonal therapy (9%); 43% of cases were unprovoked. JAK2 V617F mutation was detected in 26% of 50 tested patients. At 3 months, 2 patients (2.1%; 95% confidence interval, 0.6-7.2) had major bleeding events (both gastrointestinal). One (1.0%) patient died due to a non-SVT-related cause, 2 had recurrent SVT (2.1%). Complete recanalization was documented in 47.3% of patients. One additional major bleeding event and 1 recurrent SVT occurred at 6 months. Rivaroxaban appears as a potential alternative to standard anticoagulation for the treatment of SVT in non-cirrhotic patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02627053 and at eudract.ema.europa.eu as #2014-005162-29-36.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS): A tertiary care centre retrospective study.

AIMS: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare, drug-induced severe adverse reaction that usually occurs 3-6 weeks after initial exposure to certain drugs. It affects mainly adults and children to a lesser extent. Clinical features include fever, facial oedema, generalized skin rash, lymphadenopathy, haematological abnormalities and internal organ involvement. The objective was to investigate the clinical and laboratory features of patients with DRESS in our centre. METHODS: We retrospectively describe and analyse 19 cases of DRESS whose diagnosis was based on the RegiSCAR criteria (≥6 points) that occurred from January 2009 to December 2019. RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 4 to 76 years (4 children/15 adults); 10 were female (52.3%). The most common culprit drugs were antibiotics (74%) and anticonvulsants (21%). The most common comorbidities were epilepsy (26%) and hypertension (26%). All patients developed cutaneous manifestations and of those, 58% presented facial oedema. Liver function tests, urea/creatinine and troponin elevation were present in 74, 32 and 42%, respectively. The median time to develop the skin rash after the drug exposure was 3.7 weeks (interquartile range 2.4-4.2 wk). Eosinophilia (≥0.7 × 109 /L) was present in 95% of the patients and peaked around 10 days after the skin manifestations. Leucocytosis and reactive lymphocytes were reported in 84% and 26% of all patients respectively. Treatment with systemic steroids was reported in 16 patients. The mean recovery time was 2 weeks (interquartile range 2-3.5 wk) and mortality was 5%. CONCLUSION: DRESS is a serious condition with significant morbidity and mortality, which requires more research for a better understanding.