Application of the ISTH bleeding score in hemophilia

Background

Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder. With proper treatment and self-care, persons with hemophilia can maintain an active, productive lifestyle. Hemophilia can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the degree of plasma clotting factor deficiency. The aim of the study was to assess the utility of ISTH-BAT in diagnosis, determining severity of the bleeding condition in newly diagnosed and known hemophilia patients, compare the bleeding score (BS) in adult and pediatric groups and investigate its association with plasma factor levels.

化瘀解毒汤对脓毒血症APACHEⅡ评分、ISTH DIC评分及外周血树突状细胞表面物质表达水平的影响

目的探讨化瘀解毒汤对脓毒血症患者APACHEⅡ评分、ISTH DIC评分及外周血树突状细胞表面物质表达水平的影响。方法将66例脓毒症患者随机分为对照组和化瘀解毒组,每组33例。对照组给予抗感染、补充血容量、积极治疗原发疾病、吸氧等综合治疗,化瘀解毒组在上述基础上加用化瘀解毒汤治疗,每日1剂,持续治疗2周。检测血清炎症因子[白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、降钙素原(PCT)]水平变化,应用急性生理与慢性健康状况评分Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)、DIC评分评估脓毒症患者病情严重程度,应用流式细胞仪分析树突状细胞相关表面分子CD80、CD83、CD86表达情况,比较临床疗效。结果与治疗前比较,两组血清IL-6、TNF-α、PCT水平均降低(P<0.01),APACHEⅡ评分、ISTH DIC评分均降低(P<0.01),CD80、CD86水平均降低(P<0.01),CD83水平无差异(P>0.05);与对照组比较,化瘀解毒组血清IL-6、TNF-α、PCT水平均较低(P<0.01),APACHEⅡ评分、ISTH DIC评分均较低(P<0.01),CD80、CD86水平均较低(P<0.01),总有效率较高(P<0.01)。结论化瘀解毒汤辅助治疗脓毒血症疗效显著,可有效降低APACHEⅡ评分、ISTH DIC评分,可能与调节外周血树突状细胞表面物质表达有关。     

Prognostic values of the factor Xa-activated clotting time and endogenous thrombin potential in patients suspected of having disseminated intravascular coagulation

Background

Widespread coagulation activation and intravascular fibrin formation are clinical features of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) has been shown to be a useful marker for hypo- or hypercoagulability. The factor Xa-activated clotting time (XACT) represents plasma levels of procoagulant phospholipids. We investigated whether the ETP and XACT would be good prognostic markers in patients suspected of having DIC and whether these markers would show a significant correlation with the thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), a marker of in vivo coagulation activation.

Methods

One hundred twenty-nine patients suspected of having DIC were enrolled for the study. The TAT was measured by ELISA. The ETP and XACT were measured by calibrated automated thrombinography. The 28-day mortality was used as a predictor of clinical outcomes.

Results

In overt DIC, higher XACT (9.67 vs. 7.33 min) and higher TAT (26.15 vs. 11.56 ng/ml) results were obtained from the nonsurvivors than from the survivors. ETP levels were lower in the overt DIC group than in the no overt DIC group. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, which was conducted to predict the 28-day mortality, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic analysis curve were as follows: 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62-0.78) for the XACT, 0.70 (0.61-0.77) for the TAT, and 0.64 (0.55-0.72) for the ETP. For the diagnosis of overt DIC, the area under the curve of XACT, TAT and ETP were 0.77 (0.69-0.84), 0.64 (0.55-0.72) and 0.73 (0.64-0.80), respectively. The odds ratio of the XACT for the relative risk of 28-day mortality was 9.60 (3.53-26.11), and that of the TAT was 5.18 (2.11-12.72) and that of the ETP 7.66 (1.67-35.17). For the diagnosis of overt DIC, the odds ratio of XACT, TAT and ETP were 37.35 (4.86-286.89), 4.89 (1.93-12.43) and 4.89 (1.98-12.09), respectively. There was a negative correlation between the TAT and ETP (r = − 0.223, P = 0.012) and a positive correlation between the TAT and XACT (r = 0.251, P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the XACT and ETP may be useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for the DIC. Among various markers, the XACT serves as a good prediction of the 28-day mortality in patients suspected of having DIC.     

Evaluation of a new silica clotting time in the diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants

INTRODUCTION: A new commercial silica clotting time (SCT), the HemosIL SCT assay (Instrumentation Laboratory, Milan, Italy) was evaluated in the laboratory diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants (LAC). This integrated test system for screening and confirmation was compared with the frequently used aPTT-based PTT-LA and Staclot-LA (Diagnostica Stago, Asnières, France) in a patient population investigated for LAC and in a subpopulation who met the clinical criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 201 samples were analysed with the HemosIL SCT assay. Own reference values were calculated. Results are expressed as measured clotting times in seconds or as normalised ratios. RESULTS: SCT screen and PTT-LA had a sensitivity of, 61.1% and 63.8%, respectively. Normalising the results gained sensitivity up to 72.2% and 90%, respectively. The confirmation SCT and the Staclot-LA had a sensitivity of 30.6% and 63.9% with a specificity of 86.7% and 100%, respectively. Sensitivity of SCT for detecting LAC in clinical criteria positive patients was lower compared to aPTT and dRVVT (45.8% versus 66.7% and 65%). Combination of SCT/dRVVT and aPTT/dRVVT gave a sensitivity of 51.2% and 63.6%, with a specificity of 50.0% and 52.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with PTT-LA as screening test, the SCT screen shows an acceptable sensitivity. However, the HemosIL SCT assay including the confirmation step, has a much lower sensitivity in the diagnosis of LAC in comparison with the Staclot-LA test. Combining the HemosIL SCT assay with dRVVT results in a better sensitivity, although lower than the combined aPTT/dRVVT based method as usually performed in our lab.     

Thrombophilic screening in young patients (< 40 years) with idiopathic ischemic stroke: a controlled study

Introduction

Despite extensive clinical and laboratory investigations, the etiology of ischemic stroke remains unknown in approximately one third of patients.

Materials and Methods

Thirty-four consecutive patients less than 40 years old (Males 13, Females 21, mean age 26.6 years, range 2-39) with documented ischemic stroke underwent, one year after the acute event, laboratory evaluation of antithrombin, protein C, free and total protein S, activated protein C resistance, fibrinogen, factor VII:C, homocysteine levels and antiphospholipid antibodies (APA). Moreover, prevalence of F5 R506Q, F2 G2021A and homozygosis for thermolabile variant C677T of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) were also evaluated and compared to the results obtained in 120 normal controls.

Results

Antithrombin and protein C levels resulted normal in all cases. One patient (2.9%) showed free protein S deficiency and 3 patients (8.8%) had activated protein C resistance. Homocysteine levels above 15 μmol/L were found in one patient (2.9%). APA were found in 21 patients (61.7%) and in only 2 out of 120 (1.66%) controls (OR = 95.31; 95% C.I.: 18.22-667.81). The multivariate analysis selected that the presence of APA was significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke (OR = 156.60; 95% C.I.: 25.99-943.47) in this cohort of patients. The combination between APA and cardiovascular risk factors determined a risk of 29-fold (OR = 29.31; 95% CI: 3.28-261.69).

Discussion

Our data suggest that the presence of APA is associated with an increased risk of idiopathic ischemic stroke in young patients. Furthermore, also the combination of APA and cardiovascular risk factors is significantly associated with development of idiopathic ischemic stroke.     

The impact of coagulation parameters on the outcomes of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia requiring intensive care unit admission

Introduction

Coagulation abnormalities are frequent in patients with severe infections. However, the predictive value of d-dimer and of the presence of associated coagulation derangements in severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains to be thoroughly evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of coagulation parameters in patients with severe CAP admitted to the intensive care unit.

Methods

d-Dimer, antithrombin, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis score, clinical variables, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and the CURB-65 score were measured in the first 24 hours. Results are shown as median (25%-75% interquartile range). The main outcome measure was hospital mortality.

Results

Ninety patients with severe CAP admitted to the intensive care unit were evaluated. Overall hospital mortality was 15.5%. d-Dimer levels in nonsurvivors were higher than those in survivors. In the univariate analysis, d-dimer, SOFA, and APACHE II scores were predictors of death. The discriminative ability of d-dimer (area under receiver operating curve = 0.75 [95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.83]; best cutoff for d-dimer was 1798 ng/mL) for in-hospital mortality was comparable with APACHE II and SOFA and better than C-reactive protein. Moreover, the addition of d-dimer to APACHE II or SOFA score increased the discriminative ability of both scores (area under the receiver operating curve = 0.82 [0.72-0.89] and 0.84 [0.75-0.91], respectively).

Conclusions

d-Dimer levels are good predictors of outcome in severe CAP and may augment the predictive ability of scoring systems as APACHE II and SOFA.     

ISTH guidelines for antithrombotic treatment in COVID-19: Endorsement by the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine

The Clinical Practice Committee of the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine endorses the ISTH guidelines for antithrombotic treatment in COVID-19. This evidence-based guideline serves as a useful decision aid for Nordic anaesthesiologists caring for patients with COVID-19.     

XANTUS-EL: A real-world,prospective, observational study of patients treated with rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation in Eastern Europe,Middle East,Africa and Latin America

Background

The prospective, observational XANTUS study demonstrated low rates of stroke and major bleeding in real-world rivaroxaban-treated patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) from Western Europe, Canada and Israel. XANTUS-EL is a component of the overall XANTUS programme and enrolled patients with NVAF treated with rivaroxaban from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) and Latin America.

The dilution effect of equal volume mixing studies compromises confirmation of inhibition by lupus anticoagulants even when mixture specific reference ranges are applied

INTRODUCTION: One of the recommended criteria for the laboratory diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants (LA) is demonstration of inhibitory activity. This is confirmed by performing mixing tests with normal plasma, usually in a 1:1 ratio, and demonstrating persistence of an abnormal clotting time in the screening test with significant confirmatory test reduction. However, the mixing with normal plasma can dilute the antibodies to undetectable levels and generate apparent negative results. No guidelines or consensus exist in how to interpret mixing study results. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study assessed the 1:1 mixing study results from 600 patients with a thrombotic history positive for LA demonstrated in neat plasma by individual assays, or combinations, of dilute Russell's viper venom time, dilute activated partial thromboplastin time, activated seven lupus anticoagulant assay and Taipan snake venom time, plus confirmatory tests. Mixing tests were assessed initially using locally derived neat plasma reference ranges and subsequently with mixture specific ranges. RESULTS: The mixture specific ranges had lower upper limits. Of the total LA positive results, 32.5% were positive in the mixing studies when neat plasma reference ranges were applied, and a further 11.2% demonstrated LA activity when using the mixture specific ranges. The remaining 56.3% had been diluted such that they did not elevate the screening test above the upper limit of normal or generated minimal prolongation with an insignificant difference between the screen and confirmatory test result sufficient to confirm LA activity. CONCLUSIONS: The significant impact of the dilution effect in 1:1 mixing studies emphasises the limitations of mixing studies as a vehicle for confirmation of inhibition by LA antibodies.