Anticoagulation with rivaroxaban in a hematology unit: clinical profile, events and discontinuation rates in real-life patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Aim: To assess the clinical profile and thromboembolic and bleeding events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) who were attended in a hematology unit.

Methods: Retrospective study of AF patients that started treatment with rivaroxaban between February 2012 and June 2016 in a hematology unit from a tertiary hospital in Spain.

Results: Overall, 243 patients (mean age 78.4 ± 10.1 years; 47.5% women, CHADS-VASc 3.7 ± 1.5) were included. After a mean follow-up of 16.5 ± 12.7 months, rivaroxaban was discontinued in only 2.4% of patients. During the follow-up, seven (2.0 events/100 patient-years) patients had a thromboembolic event and six patients (1.7 events/100 patient-years) a major bleeding.

Conclusion: Rivaroxaban was effective and safe among AF patients treated in a hematology unit, with very low discontinuation rates.