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Published on: February 28, 2012

Warfarin prevents venous obstruction after cardiac devices implantation in high-risk patients: partial analysis

Kátia Regina da Silva1, Roberto Costa, Roberto Abi Rached

  • 1Programa de Cirurgia Torácica e Cardiovascular, Heart Institute, Clinics Hospital, Faculty of Medicine-São Paulo, SP, Brazil. katia.regina@incor.usp.br

Revista Brasileira De Cirurgia Cardiovascular : Orgao Oficial Da Sociedade Brasileira De Cirurgia Cardiovascular
|February 21, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Prophylactic warfarin significantly reduced venous thrombosis after cardiac device implantation in high-risk patients. This anticoagulation therapy proved safe, lowering obstruction rates from 57.1% to 31.4%.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Venous thrombosis is a risk following transvenous lead implantation.
  • Identifying effective prophylactic strategies is crucial for high-risk patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy and safety of prophylactic warfarin in preventing venous thrombosis.
  • To evaluate warfarin's impact on venous obstruction rates post-cardiac device implantation.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, randomized, blinded clinical study involving 101 high-risk patients undergoing first transvenous lead implantation.
  • Patients were randomized to receive either warfarin or placebo for six months.
  • Digital subtraction venography was used to assess venous obstructions post-intervention.

Main Results:

  • Warfarin significantly reduced venous obstructions to 31.4% compared to 57.1% in the placebo group (RR=0.57, P=0.015).
  • Therapeutic INR range was achieved in 72% of warfarin-treated patients.
  • Warfarin was well-tolerated, with only one patient discontinuing due to bleeding.

Conclusions:

  • Prophylactic anticoagulation with warfarin is safe and effective in reducing venous thrombosis.
  • Warfarin therapy lowers the incidence of venous obstructions after transvenous cardiac device implantation in high-risk individuals.
Abstract

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