Publications by authors named "K Winckers"
Intra-Individual Variability of Direct Oral Anticoagulant Levels in Frail Older Patients upon, during, and after Acute Hospitalization: the DOAC-FRAIL Study.
J Am Med Dir Assoc
December 2024
Background: Small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) have revolutionised the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, SMI-induced drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with frequently co-administered direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), increase thromboembolic and bleeding risks. This study investigated and proactively managed the consequences of DOAC-SMI DDIs.
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- Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have largely replaced warfarin for preventing and treating blood clots and reducing stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation.
- While DOACs offer fixed dosing and convenience, they aren't suitable for high-thrombotic risk patients (like those with antiphospholipid syndrome or mechanical heart valves) and require careful consideration in patients with cancer or kidney issues.
- New reversal agents for severe bleeding have been developed, and research on safer anticoagulants like factor XI(a) inhibitors is ongoing to improve treatment for elderly and frail individuals.
Background: Despite the low rate of bacterial coinfection, antibiotics are very commonly prescribed in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Research Question: Does the use of a procalcitonin (PCT)-guided antibiotic protocol safely reduce the use of antibiotics in patients with a COVID-19 infection?
Study Design And Methods: In this multicenter cohort, three groups of patients with COVID-19 were compared in terms of antibiotic consumption, namely one group treated based on a PCT-algorithm in one hospital (n = 216) and two control groups, consisting of patients from the same hospital (n = 57) and of patients from three similar hospitals (n = 486) without PCT measurements during the same period. The primary end point was antibiotic prescription in the first week of admission.