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Get PST Aware

“Get PST Aware”

 

·         Are you are on long-term warfarin therapy?

·         Would you like to feel more in control of the management of your condition?

·         Would you like to reduce the amount of time you spend travelling to and attending clinics?

·         Have you heard about self-monitoring but feel unsure about whether you would be suitable?

·         Do you have a friend or relative on warfarin and want to find out more on their behalf?

AntiCoagulation Europe in partnership with Roche Diagnostics are delighted to announce a new information campaign called Get PST Aware for people on long-term oral anticoagulation.

Get PST Aware will inform people about the potential of patient self-monitoring and explain the benefits that either patient self-testing (PST) or patient self-managing (PSM) can have on patients’ lives.

For example....did you know?

·         50%[i] of patients are suitable for PST/PSM but are simply unaware of the potential benefits of being able to self-monitor at home

·         Scientific studies have shown that self-testing or self-managing oral anticoagulation leads to a 50% reduction in blood clots that breaks loose and are carried by the blood stream to plug another vesseli

·         Self-testing monitors are comparable with laboratory test[ii], and have been independently shown to be both accurate and reliable[iii]

 The campaign comprises a number of meetings taking place across the United Kingdom.

 As part of the Get PST Aware campaign a number of anticoagulation clinics will host educational awareness days in September 2010. The aim of these days is to help people who are interested in self-monitoring find out how they can simply and safely test their own blood at home. By providing the opportunity to:

 

·         Find out about and ask any questions about self-testing and the options available to them

·         Hear from individuals who are currently self-testing

·         See demonstrations of self-monitoring kits

·         Take home educational materials to consider the options

 In addition, if you are interested in using a CoaguChek XS kit (a self-testing kit from Roche Diagnostics Ltd) you can take advantage of a special purchase price.

 If you know someone who might benefit from attending one of these sessions, or if you simply want to find out more about the Get PST Aware campaign and venues, information will be available from 1st August on www.coaguchek.com/uk/   phone 01444 256888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

More information coming soon

[i] Heneghan C et al. Review: self testing and self management increase the benefits and reduce the harms of anticoagulant therapy. The Lancet, 2006; 367: 404-11

[ii] Shiach CR et al. Reliability of point-of-care prothrombin time testing in a community clinic: a randomized crossover comparison with hospital laboratory testing , British Journal of Haematology. 2002; 119: 370-375

[iii] NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency. Centre for Evidenced Based Purchasing. Report 06034. CoaguChek™XS system. May 2006. www.pasa.nhs.uk/cep (Accessed April 2008)

 
New anticoagulants - latest trial results

RE-COVER Study: New anticoagulant drug dabigatran is a safe effective alternative to warfarin for the treatment of Venous thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism is the umbrella term for deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs

Results of the RE-COVER study showed that twice daily doses of 150 mg dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) was as effective as well-controlled warfarin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Unlike warfarin, dabigatran does not require regular blood tests or dose adjustments, nor does it interact with many common foods or medicines. A total of 30 of the 1274 patients randomly assigned to receive dabigatran (2.4%), as compared with 27 of the 1265 patients randomly assigned to warfarin (2.1%), had recurrent venous thromboembolism.

The trial also assessed various safety endpoints points included bleeding events, acute coronary syndromes and results of liver-function tests. Major bleeding was comparable between dabigatran etexilate (20 patients, 1.6%) and warfarin (24 patients, 1.9%). However when all bleeds (including major, clinically relevant and minor bleeds) were compared, dabigatran etexilate showed a significant 29% reduction compared to warfarin. The numbers of deaths, acute coronary syndromes, and abnormal liver-function tests were similar in the two groups. Adverse events leading to discontinuation of the study drug occurred in 9.0% of patients assigned to dabigatran and in 6.8% of patients assigned to warfarin. In common with the RE-LY trial comparing dabigatran to warfarin for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation patients, rates of dyspepsia were higher in the dabigatran than the warfarin group.

The RE-COVER trial results were presented at the recent Society for Hematology congress in New Orleans and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine (for further details see http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/361/24/2342; subscription required to access full article).

 

EINSTEIN-Extension study

Results from the EINSTEIN-Extension study, demonstrate that the factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban (Xarelto), when compared to placebo, significantly reduced the risk of a recurrent symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Venous thromboebolism is the umbrella term for deep vein thrombosi (blood clots in the legs and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs.

The 1197 patients randomized for inclusion in the trial had previously completed 6 or 12 months of standard treatment with a vitamin K antagonist (or VKA, such as warfarin) for an acute episode of VTE or had participated in the ongoing Phase III EINSTEIN-DVT or EINSTEIN-PE trials, in which patients were treated with either rivaroxaban or a VKA, for the same duration of time. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 20 mg of rivaroxaban dosed once-daily, or a placebo, and were evaluated for an additional 6 or 12 months.

During the treatment period, symptomatic recurrent VTE events occurred in 42 (7.1%) of the placebo treated patients and in 8 (1.3%) of the rivaroxaban recipients – a relative risk reduction (RRR) of 82%. After the stop of study medication, 6 symptomatic recurrent VTE events occurred in each group during the one month observational period.

Major bleeding did not occur in placebo patients and was observed in 4 (0.7%) rivaroxaban recipients. None of these bleeding events were fatal or in a critical site. Clinically relevant non-major bleeding was noted in 7 (1.2%) and 32 (5.4%) of the placebo and rivaroxaban recipients, respectively. Two (0.3%) patients in the placebo group died versus 1 (0.2%) in the rivaroxaban group. No patients were observed to have raised liver enzymes and there were no differences in the incidence of cardiovascular-related events between the two treatment groups.

The EINSTEIN-Extension trial results were presented at the recent Society for Hematology congress in New Orleans. Further information is available via the ASH website http://ash.confex.com/ash/2009/webprogram/Paper25669.html
 


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