How Many People In The US Die Each Year From Anticoagulation?

[Guest]

Between 1998 and 2004, an average of how many people each year in the US had anticoagulation listed as their cause of death?

Cast your vote then look at http://warfarinfo.com/anticoagulation-deaths.htm for the answer.

 

[Bina]

My guess would be zero.

 

[catwoman]

Well, I voted 50-100 because I figured there'd be pathologists out there who would list anticoagulation as the CAUSE of death.
Glad to see that it's less than my vote.

 

[Cooker]

Thanks Al....I would say the odds for not croaking are real good....oh...I guessed 0-50.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I think it would be interesting to conduct another poll on the Number of Bleeding Events attributable to Anti-Coagulation *Mismanagement*!

 

[Ross]

I think it would be interesting to conduct another poll on the Number of Bleeding Events attributable to Anti-Coagulation *Mismanagement*!

You got that right!

 

[mrwjd]

In reading materials relevant to valve choice, I was impressed that mortality was not the most striking difference between mechanical and tissue valves. Many studies showed, however, that morbidity due to (a) mechanical valve characteristics, and/or (b) anticoagulation was substantially higher than morbidity with tissue valves.

A trade-off, of course, is the possibility of earlier re-operation with tissue valves.

 

[Ross]

In reading materials relevant to valve choice, I was impressed that mortality was not the most striking difference between mechanical and tissue valves. Many studies showed, however, that morbidity due to (a) mechanical valve characteristics, and/or (b) anticoagulation was substantially higher than morbidity with tissue valves.

A trade-off, of course, is the possibility of earlier re-operation with tissue valves.

It all boils down to proper management which is something that just can't seem to happen in the United States. Why on earth the entire medical profession is not on the same page is really inexcusable, but that's the way it is.

 

[Karlynn]

I think it would be interesting to conduct another poll on the Number of Bleeding Events attributable to Anti-Coagulation *Mismanagement*!

I totally agree! The incident rates are very low for Coumadin. I would think we'd be talking 1 - 2% if the medical community ever got on board.

 

[Karlynn]

My MIL was on Coumadin after each hip replacement.

Undiagnosed ulcers are one of the few things that we caution people need to be careful about. INR mismanagement could be a part of Susan's friend's problem, but it may have occured anyway. It should also be noted that aspirin therapy can cause bad ulcer bleeds too. Most people don't associate aspirin therapy as causing a bleeding issue until they have to have a procedure and are told not to take their aspirin for 2 weeks.

On the mismanagement sidenote - My MIL's management was atrocious. She would go get a blood draw and then wait a week to get her INR and dosage change. And she was going to a "Coumadin Clinic". By the time I found out this was happening, she only had a week left on Coumadin. She also didn't put one green thing in her mouth the entire time she was on it, because that's what she was told not to do. Even though I told her (and she had seen) that I eat anything I want, and any green thing I want, my years of experience on the drug didn't trump a stupid nurse's "knowledge".

 

[Ross]

With my GI bleed, I couldn't blame ACT for it, it was secondary to a developing ulcer. The ulcer was the cause, ACT was just an effect.

 

[Guest]

This is how many people that had anticoagulation listed as their first underlying cause of death. There were many more who had anticoagulation listed as the second or third underlying cause. Under the US system there is nothing more definitive than this since all of the death certificate studies are based on this.

That doesn't mean that they are complete and entirely correct. But even if it were off by a factor of three it would still be 100 deaths.

My point is that it is extremely rare to die from warfarin.

 

[MikeHeim]

With my GI bleed, I couldn't blame ACT for it, it was secondary to a developing ulcer. The ulcer was the cause, ACT was just an effect.

Ross-
Not sure I agree with this assertion. I think a reasonable metaphor would be dying in a car accident. If you're not wearing a seat belt, I would think the blame would be placed on not wearing a seat belt, not the fact that you were driving a car. Just my opinion.

 

[Ross]

Ross-
Not sure I agree with this assertion. I think a reasonable metaphor would be dying in a car accident. If you're not wearing a seat belt, I would think the blame would be placed on not wearing a seat belt, not the fact that you were driving a car. Just my opinion.

I know the answer to this one from Peace Officer training.

In the state of Ohio, it would be the motor vehicle accident was the cause of death. Whether or not the seat belt was used is secondary.