Anticoagulant prescribing in patients with ischaemic stroke: what has changed over a decade?

Angelos Sharobeam; Brett Jones; Aidan Watters; Chandi Das; Christian Lueck

doi:10.1111/imj.15022

Anticoagulant prescribing in patients with ischaemic stroke: what has changed over a decade?

Intern Med J. 2020 Oct;50(10):1274-1277. doi: 10.1111/imj.15022.

Authors

Angelos Sharobeam^{1

2}, Brett Jones¹, Aidan Watters¹, Chandi Das^{1

2}, Christian Lueck^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
² School of Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

PMID: 33111414
DOI: 10.1111/imj.15022

Abstract

A study at our institution conducted 10 years ago identified that warfarin was under-utilised in patients with atrial fibrillation. We replicated this study and compared the results. There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients appropriately anticoagulated (63% vs 9%, P < 0.001). Eighty-seven percent of eligible patients were appropriately anticoagulated on discharge (86% previously). Seventy-two percent of treated patients were prescribed a direct oral anticoagulant. Of these, 10% were discharged with a sub-therapeutic dose without obvious explanation.

Keywords: DOAC; anticoagulation; atrial fibrillation; stroke; warfarin.

MeSH terms

Administration, Oral
Anticoagulants / therapeutic use
Atrial Fibrillation* / complications
Atrial Fibrillation* / drug therapy
Atrial Fibrillation* / epidemiology
Brain Ischemia* / drug therapy
Brain Ischemia* / epidemiology
Humans
Ischemic Stroke*
Stroke* / drug therapy

Substances

Anticoagulants