Direct Oral Anticoagulant Use in Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis Patients With Venous Thromboembolism: A Systematic Review of Thrombosis and Bleeding Outcomes

Objective: To evaluate how treatment with DOACs for VTE affects thrombosis and bleeding outcomes compared to warfarin in CKD and dialysis patients. Data Sources: A literature search was conducted for studies evaluating VTE and bleeding outcomes with DOAC use in CKD and dialysis patients. Searches conducted through EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception to September 22, 2020. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case series with ≥10 patients included. Data Synthesis: From 7286 studies, nine studies met inclusion criteria. There was no significant difference between DOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban) and warfarin for reducing recurrent VTE and bleeding events in moderate CKD patients. The risk of overall major bleeding increased when the degree of kidney impairment increased. There was no significant difference between apixaban and warfarin for VTE outcomes in dialysis patients. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: There continues to be a controversial debate whether it may be more beneficial to use DOACs versus warfarin in CKD/dialysis patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). The risk vs benefit of using DOACs in the CKD/ESKD population should continue to be evaluated for each individual patient. Conclusion: Apixaban may be used cautiously as an alternative in acute VTE treatment in severe CKD patients. Insufficient evidence is available to suggest the use of dabigatran and rivaroxaban in this patient population. The benefit of using DOACs in this population for VTE treatment should be weighed against the potential bleeding risk in patients with CKD.