A clinical trial of COVID-19 patients led by the TIMI Study Group at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Critical Care Cardiology Trials Network (CCCTN) discovered that full-dose anticoagulation reduces the incidence of blood clotting problems compared to standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation. Researchers presented their findings during a Hot Line discussion at the 2022 ESC Congress. Previous clinical trials evaluating techniques for reducing blood clots in COVID-19 patients yielded contradictory results. The COVID-PACT trial recruited severely sick COVID-19 patients from U.S. sites. The patients were randomly assigned either full-dose or standard-dose prophylactic anticoagulation. Randomization of 390 patients to an anticoagulation strategy was performed. The risk of venous or arterial clotting problems was 44 percent lower among individuals who received the full dose, compared to those who received the usual dose. Four patients in the full-dose group experienced fatal or life-threatening hemorrhage, compared to one patient in the standard-dose group.
Prior to this point, the ideal technique for preventing blood clots in severely ill COVID-19 patients was unknown. COVID-PACT demonstrates that, compared to routine prophylaxis, full-dose anticoagulation avoids COVID-19 clotting problems more efficiently.”
Bohula, E.A., et al. (2022) Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapy for Prevention of Venous and Arterial Thrombotic Events in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19: COVID-PACT. Circulation. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061533.