Prescription of fondaparinux in hospitalised patients
Steven Baroletti1; Matthew Labreche1; Matthew Niles2; John Fanikos1; Samuel Z. Goldhaber3
1Department of Pharmacy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussetts, USA; 2Venous Thromboembolism Research Group, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussetts, USA; 3Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussetts, USA
Summary
Fondaparinux is an antithrombotic agent with unique properties that may offer benefit to patients beyond the current approved indications. To explore the off-label use versus approved use of fondaparinux, we initiated a single-center registry of fondaparinux use. During the 25-month study period, 219 patients were prescribed fondaparinux: 157 (71.7%) for prophylaxis and 62 (28.3%) patients for the treatment of thrombosis. When fondaparinux was used for prophylaxis in our registry, 94% of patients had documentation of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Fondaparinux warrants further evaluation in patients with HIT or suspected HIT. In the meantime, its off-label use may exceed its use for FDA-approved indications. Keywords
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, fondaparinux, antithrombotic agents
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1160/TH09-01-0008