Current status of antithrombotic therapy and in-hospital outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Germany.

Background: Little is known about current patterns of antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in clinical practice in Germany.

Methods: The RIVA-PCI is a prospective, non-interventional, multicenter study with follow-up until hospital discharge including consecutive patients with AF undergoing PCI.

Results: Between January 2018 and March 2020, 1636 patients (elective in 52.6%, non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome [NSTE-ACS] in 39.3%, ST-elevation myocardial infarction in 8.2%) from 51 German hospitals were enrolled in the study. After PCI a dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) consisting of OAC and a P2Y12 inhibitor was given to 66.0%, triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) to 26.0%, dual antiplatelet therapy to 5.5%, and a mono-therapy to 2.5% of the patients. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were given to 82.4% and vitamin K antagonists to 11.5% of the patients. In-hospital events included death in 12 cases (0.7%), myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, and ischemic stroke in four (0.2%) patients each, while 2.8% of patients had bleeding complications. The recommended durations for DAT or TAT at discharge were 1 month (1.5%), 3 months (2.1%), 6 months (43.1%), and 12 months (45.6%), with a 6-month course of DAT (47.7%) most often recommended after elective PCI and a 12-month course of DAT (40.1%) after ACS.

Conclusion: The preferred therapy after PCI in patients with AF is DAT with a NOAC and clopidogrel. In-hospital ischemic and bleeding events were rare. The recommended durations for combination therapy vary considerably.