Intracranial Hemorrhage Mortality in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Treated With Dabigatran or Warfarin
Atrial Fibrillation Wednesday, July 16th, 2014STROKEAHA: July 3, 2014
Background and Purpose—In randomized trials, patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving dabigatran, a direct oral anticoagulant, had lower risk of intracranial bleeding (ICB) than those on warfarin. However, concerns exist about potential worse outcomes in dabigatran users if bleeding occurs, given the lack of approved reversal agents. Thus, we examined in-hospital mortality in AF patients with ICB being treated with dabigatran versus warfarin in a real-world population in the United States.
Methods—We analyzed healthcare utilization claims in the Truven Health Marketscan Research Databases. The study sample included patients with AF admitted to a hospital with a primary diagnosis of ICB. Information on medications, inpatient, and outpatient diagnoses was obtained from available claims. Propensity score–adjusted risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals of in-hospital mortality comparing current users of dabigatran versus warfarin were estimated using relative risk regression. Read More
