Resumption of anticoagulant therapy after anticoagulant-related gastrointestinal bleeding: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is permanently discontinued in up to 50% of patients following a gastrointestinal (GI) bleed. A previous meta-analysis showed a reduced risk of thromboembolism and death, and a non-statistically significant increased risk of re-bleeding associated with resumption. We conducted an updated meta-analysis to determine the risks of recurrent GI bleeding, thromboembolism, and death in patients who resumed OAC compared to those who did not.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for new references from January 2014 to September 2017. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies involving adults with OAC-related GI bleeding were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's ROBINS-I tool. Pooled relative risk (RR) ratios were calculated using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

We identified 12 observational studies involving 3098 patients. There was an increased risk of recurrent GI bleeding (RR 1.91, 95% CI 1.47-2.48, I = 0%, 11 studies), and a reduced risk of thromboembolism (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13-0.68, I = 59.8%, 9 studies) and death (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.38-0.70, I = 71.8%, 8 studies) in patients who resumed OAC compared to those who did not. Eleven studies were judged to be at serious risk of bias due to confounding.

CONCLUSIONS

Resuming OAC after OAC-related GI bleeding appears to be associated with an increase in recurrent GI bleeding, but a reduction in thromboembolism and death. Further prospective data are needed to identify patients for whom the net clinical benefit favours OAC resumption and the optimal timing of resumption.