Key result
Among patients with mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction, the mean INR was subtherapeutic both at the time of malfunction (2.20) and 3 months prior (2.29).
Why the study?
Due to the small number of patients with a mechanical pulmonary valve, there is a lack of information regarding the therapeutic range of INR in this population.
Cross-Sectional (n=71)
No
Absolute Event Rate: 2.2% vs 2.29%
In patients with mechanical pulmonary valve prostheses, subtherapeutic INR levels are frequently observed at the time of and prior to valve malfunction, highlighting the need for strict anticoagulation monitoring.
Subtherapeutic INR may support stricter monitoring in mechanical pulmonary valve patients; leaves open causal confirmation in prospective studies.
Background: The most challenging risk of mechanical valves is thromboembolic events; therefore, life-long anticoagulation therapy is necessary. Anticoagulation therapy should be adjusted for each patient with serial international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring. Due to the small number of patients with a mechanical valve in the pulmonary position, we are facing a lack of information about the therapeutic range of the INR in these patients. We aimed to evaluate patients with a history of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) who faced malfunction and compare their INR and echocardiographic data at the time of malfunction and 3 months prior. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 71 patients who had previously undergone PVR and presented to Shaheed Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center with a diagnosis of pulmonary valve malfunction between 2014 and 2021 were included. Patients' INR and echocardiographic data at the time of the malfunction and 3 months before the malfunction diagnosis were gathered from the hospital's registry. IBM SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis. Results: In this cross-sectional study, 71 patients with mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction were included. 49.3% (n = 35) were men, 50.7% (n=36) were women, and their mean age was 33.23 (±8.279). The mean INR of all patients 3 months before malfunction and at the time of malfunction was 2.29 (±0.753) and 2.20 (±0.704), respectively. Conclusion: In this study, most of our patients had an INR below the therapeutic range, both at the time of malfunction and 3 months prior. It emphasizes the importance of patient follow-up and keeping the INR in the therapeutic range.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Arbabi et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction (n=71). Mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction vs. 3 months prior to malfunction was evaluated on Mean international normalized ratio (INR). Among patients with mechanical pulmonary valve malfunction, the mean INR was subtherapeutic both at the time of malfunction (2.20) and 3 months prior (2.29).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: