Limited Fibrosis Progression but Significant Mortality in Patients Ineligible for Interferon-Based Hepatitis C Therapy.

Background: Individuals ineligible for interferon-based hepatitis C therapy may have a worse prognosis than patients who have failed or not received treatment.

Aims: To provide information about the limitations of medical treatment of hepatitis C in real-world patients.

Methods: We studied 969 treatment-ineligible patients and 403 treated patients enrolled between 1/1/01 and 6/30/06; data were collected until 3/31/13.

The effect of preoperative vitamin K on the INR in bridging therapy.

We investigated a bridging protocol using oral Vitamin K three days before scheduled surgery. 60 patients in two bridging protocols, 30 cases per protocol. The first cohort (Control group) had its warfarin held on Day-5 (five days before surgery).

Effect of fibrosis on adverse events in patients with hepatitis C treated with telaprevir.

Background: Data about adverse events are needed to optimise telaprevir-based therapy in a broad spectrum of patients.

Aim: To investigate adverse events of telaprevir-based therapy in patients with and without advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis in a real-world setting.

Methods: Data on 174 hepatitis C-infected patients initiating telaprevir-based therapy at Mount Sinai and Montefiore medical centres were collected.

Low molecular weight heparin bridging for atrial fibrillation: is VTE thromboprophylaxis the major benefit?

Paucity of data has led to a lack of consensus regarding indications for, and risk-benefit ratio of, low molecular weight heparin 'bridging' for cardioembolic prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) until their INR levels are in therapeutic range. Using a hospital database, we compared AF patients ≥65 years who were bridged (n = 265) with patients who were not bridged (n = 4532) after hospital discharge. Patients who failed to achieve a therapeutic INR within 30 days were excluded.