Retrospective cohort study on long-term anticoagulation therapy for bleeding complications among atrial fibrillation patients

The frequencies and contributing factors to bleeding complications among atrial fibrillation patients on a regimen of long-term oral anticoagulants is of interest. The medical records for 142 patients treated with either warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were assessed over a period of three years. Major and minor bleeding episodes were associated with instability of the international normalized ratio (INR), the type of anticoagulant medication, and individual patient characteristics. The bleeding complications were observed to occur more frequently with patients presenting with unstable INR values and those treated with warfarin in contrast to DOACs patients. Thus, the importance of a tailored anticoagulation regimen to address bleeding complications in atrial fibrillation is shown.