Thromboembolic complications remain a major public health burden, making antithrombotic agents one of the most widely prescribed groups of medication, but the treatment is often challenging as it... Show moreThromboembolic complications remain a major public health burden, making antithrombotic agents one of the most widely prescribed groups of medication, but the treatment is often challenging as it at the same time increases risk of bleeding. With nationwide data from Statistics Netherlands, antithrombotic therapy and relevant clinical outcomes were comprehensively examined in the patient population of atrial fibrillation, overall or among those with comorbid cancer. The results suggest the patient population was increasingly receiving anticoagulants, driven by the newly introduced medication- direct oral anticoagulant and guided by the CHA2DS2-VASc score, and meanwhile the patient population experienced fewer ischemic stroke and major bleeding. In spite of these promising changes, suboptimal medication adherence and potential underuse of anticoagulants remain directions for further improvement. Antithrombotic agent use during pregnancy was also examined in the general Dutch pregnant population, which featured a surge in antiplatelet prescriptions, and risk of preeclampsia/eclampsia decreased and several newborn outcomes improved simultaneously. Together, the studies presented in this thesis provide an overview of antithrombotic therapy in the Netherlands in recent years, providing insights for further improving this treatment and relevant patient outcomes. Show less
Case series Patients: Male, 75-year-old Male, 72-year-oldFinal Diagnosis: Atrial fibrillationSymptoms: Apnea atrial fibrillationMedication: -Clinical Procedure: -Specialty: AnesthesiologyObjective:... Show moreCase series Patients: Male, 75-year-old Male, 72-year-oldFinal Diagnosis: Atrial fibrillationSymptoms: Apnea atrial fibrillationMedication: -Clinical Procedure: -Specialty: AnesthesiologyObjective: Unusual clinical courseBackground: Asymptomatic postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) may go undetected. As part of a multicenter observational trial designed to develop a risk prediction score for respiratory depression, the respiratory patterns of patients admitted to standard wards were continuously assessed with capnography and pulse oximetry. The monitor measured end-tidal carbon dioxide, respiratory rate, heart rate (HR), and oxyhemoglobin saturation.Case Reports: Two men ages 75 and 72 experienced abrupt and variable postoperative changes in HR consistent with AF with rapid ventricular response, coinciding with an abnormal breathing pattern with apneic episodes. In both cases, the changes were not detected by routine clinical monitoring.Conclusions: Continuous capnography identified respiratory distress in 2 patients who experienced symptoms of AF. Continuous monitoring devices can help health care providers minimize the risk of morbidity and mortality for patients at risk of respiratory depression. Show less
