A 79-year-old female with chronic atrial fibrillation was being treated with dabigatran (Pradaxa). Pradaxa was discontinued after a significant bleeding episode. A WATCHMAN device was successfully implanted and Pradaxa was started. A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) 49 days later showed a 3.6×2.2 cm clot overlying the device. Pradaxa was switched to Coumadin. Subsequent TEEs showed the complete resolution of the thrombus after five months on Coumadin. Coumadin was discontinued. Six months later, TEE showed a large mobile thrombus attached to the left atrial appendage occlusion device (LAAOD). The patient\'s hypercoagulable workup was negative. Due to recurrent thrombotic events, she was started on apixaban (Eliquis) due to a prior history of bleeding on Coumadin. She is currently on Eliquis with no further episodes of bleeding or device thrombus.

Regional Citrate Anticoagulation (RCA) is considered the first-line anticoagulation for Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy (CKRT). The RCA requires strict protocols and trained staff to avoid unsafe use and ensure its benefit. We have analyzed all our CKRT prescriptions from December 2020 to April 2022 anonymously, collecting data on CKRT, lab tests, clinical conditions, and complications of RCA. In addition, in order to better detect citrate accumulation, we have performed an RCA protocol by reducing the CaTot/Ca2+ ratio cut-off from 2.50 to 2.40 and increasing the number of calcium checks according to its trend. Among the 374 patients in CKRT, 104 received RCA prescriptions, of which 11 (10.6%) were discontinued: 4 for the suspicion of citrate accumulation, 1 for the development of metabolic alkalosis, 1 for the shift to a different CKRT procedure due to the need for a higher bicarbonate dose, 4 for the elevation of hepatocytolysis indexes, and 1 due to a preemptive discontinuation following massive post-surgery bleeding. None of the patients have had citrate toxicity as indicated by a CaTot/Ca2+ greater than 2.50, and our protocol has allowed the early identification of patients who might develop clinical citrate toxicity.

Although the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) has historically been the method of choice for anticoagulation monitoring in patients undergoing mechanical circulatory support with intravenous unfractionated heparin, it is being progressively superseded by the anti-factor Xa (anti-Xa) method. A retrospective single-arm, single-centre analysis of 20 patients who underwent total artificial heart implantation entailed simultaneous determinations of aPTT and anti-Xa. Agreement between these parameters was assessed using the Bland-Altman method. Despite a positive correlation between aPTT and anti-Xa, normal target ranges were poorly aligned: from 5th to 30th postoperative day, for anti-Xa values of 0.2 and 0.4 U/ml corresponding aPTT values were 52.1 and 65.2 s, 7.9 and 14.8 lower than predicted values, respectively. This was not associated with thromboembolic sequalae. It was not possible to demonstrate a significant relationship between the predictor variables (postoperative day; white blood cell count; C-reactive protein concentration; alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase level; bilirubin; haemoglobin; albumin and total protein concentration) and the agreement between aPTT and anti-Xa levels. In summary, when anti-Xa levels were used to guide anticoagulation therapy, corresponding aPTT levels were low with respect to target range. Methodology applied in this study is generalizable to other forms of mechanical circulatory support.

BACKGROUND: Deep vein thrombosis is a well-known complication of fracture occurrence, lower limb surgery and periods of prolonged immobilisation. Its incidence can be increased even more in specific cases with metastatic bone disease and adjuvant treatment. There is a small amount of literature that addresses the incidence of DVT by comparing osteosynthesis and arthroplasty as surgical treatments. Current recommended anticoagulation protocols might be inadequate for specific groups of cancer patients undergoing osteosynthesis or arthroplasty.
METHODS: The study was designed and performed in a retrospective manner and carried out on patients that presented at our Emergency Clinical County Hospital between 01.01.2008-31.12.2016. The patients\' evolution was followed for a standard of 2 months. All our deep vein thrombosis events were diagnosed via venous duplex imaging. The studied lot (n = 85) was paired with a control group (n = 170) with similar baseline characteristics.
RESULTS: Our lot was comprised of 85 patients that underwent 85 surgeries, on both of our hospital\'s Orthopaedic and Traumatology wards. When performing the student t-test and calculating OR (odds ratio) and RR (risk ratio) we encountered 11 cases of DVT in our studied group and 12 cases of DVT in our control group (p < 0.04). We found statistical significance when correlating DVT with type of implant (prosthesis), the presence of metastases over primary tumour and the choice of implant (prosthesis over intramedullary nail). There was no statistical significance found when correlating DVT events with the type of anticoagulation and the amount of blood transfusion units required.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients who undergo surgical treatment for lower limb pathological fracture due to malignancy are at increased risk of DVT or death due to PE under current general thromboprophylaxis regimens. The risk is higher for the immediate postoperative period (10 days). The risk is increased by metastasis, arthroplasty and adjuvant therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy), and we think that a more aggressive prophylactic protocol should be used.

We aimed to assess the incidence of HAT over three eras following implementation of microvascular techniques and a customized anticoagulation protocol in a predominantly cadaveric split liver transplant program. We retrospectively reviewed pediatric liver transplants performed between April 1986 and 2016 and analyzed the incidence HAT over three eras. In E1, 1986-2008, each patient received a standard dose of 5 U/kg/h of heparin and coagulation profiles normalized passively. In E2, 2008-2012, microvascular techniques were introduced. In E3, 2012-2016, in addition, a customized anticoagulation protocol was introduced which included replacement of antithrombin 3, protein C and S, and early heparinization. A total of 317 liver transplants were completed during the study period, with a median age of 31.7 months. In E1, 22% of grafts were cadaveric in situ split grafts, while the second and third eras used split grafts in 59.0% and 64.9% of cases, respectively. HAT occurred in 9.5% in the first era, 11.5% (P=.661) in the second, and dropped to 1.8% in the third era (P=.043). A routine anticoagulation protocol has significantly reduced the incidence of HAT post-liver transplantation in children in a predominantly cadaveric in situ split liver transplant program.