NHS England have issued a safety alert on the risk of inappropriate anticoagulation of patients with a mechanical heart valve.
Published guidance supported clinical teams in reviewing patients being treated with a vitamin K antagonist (VKA) early on in the pandemic and change their medication to an alternative anticoagulant where needed.
However, there have been reports that those with a mechanical heart valve have been prescribed a molecular weight heparin (LMWH) or a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) which the guidance lists as an exception to its use in such patients.
The alert asks GPs and other NHS providers to urgently identify patients with a mechanical heart valve and ensure they are on the most appropriate anticoagulant.
Source: NHS England, 14 July 2021
0 Comments
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now