Periprocedural Outcomes in Patients on Chronic Anticoagulation Undergoing Fistulograms

Management of antithrombotic therapy with warfarin in patients undergoing fistulograms and possible interventions is controversial and difficult because of lack of adequate outpatient bridging options. Our goal was to assess periprocedural outcomes in patients managed using different anticoagulation strategies.

A retrospective, single-institution analysis of all patients on chronic anticoagulation with warfarin undergoing fistulograms from 2011 to 2017 was performed. Anticoagulation management strategies were classified as suspended warfarin (SW), continued warfarin (CW), and a heparin bridge with suspended warfarin (HB). Periprocedural outcomes were analyzed.

There were 87 patients on chronic anticoagulation with warfarin who underwent 175 fistulograms. Median age was 63 years, and 43.4% were women. Indications for warfarin included atrial fibrillation (53%), prior pulmonary embolism/deep vein thrombosis (29%), and hypercoagulable state (14%). Distribution was SW (60%), CW (26%), and HB (14%). Approximately half (53%) were same-day procedures, 30% occurred during access-related admissions, and 14% were performed during nonaccess-related admissions. Common indications for a fistulogram included difficulty with dialysis (63.4%), access thrombosis (20.6%), and poor maturation (10.3%). Interventions included angioplasty (82.9%), thrombectomy/embolectomy (20.6%), and stenting (8.6%). Thirty-day outcomes for SW versus CW versus HB were similar for bleeding complications (5.7%, 6.5%, 8.3%; P = 0.89), systemic thrombotic complications (3.8%, 2.2%, 0%; P = 0.569), access rethrombosis (7.6%, 13%, 12.5%; P = 0.517), and tunneled dialysis catheter placement (11.4%, 13%, 12.5%; P = 0.958). After excluding procedures performed during a nonaccess-related admission, length of stay (LOS) was highest among HB (9.6 ± 7.8 days) compared with SW (2.6 ± 5.9 days) and CW (1 ± 2.8 days), (P < 0.0001).

CW therapy in patients undergoing fistulograms was not associated with increased morbidity and was associated with shorter LOS. Bridging with heparin is not associated with improved outcomes, warranting a thorough consideration of continuing warfarin is safe and may streamline preservation of dialysis accesses without significantly increasing resource utilization.