Pre-admission anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy in Covid-19 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effects of pre-admission anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy on clinical outcomes in Covid-19: a retrospective, observational cohort study.
IRAS ID
284929
Contact name
Maurice Griffin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Office (part of the Research Support Centre) UCLH NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that infection with Covid-19 can lead to an increased risk of clotting events. This appears to be distinct from coagulation abnormalities seen in severe infection (sepsis) and may be underpinned by more complex immune activation. Overall, in our ICU experience during the current pandemic we too have witnessed this pro-thrombotic predisposition in Covid-19 patients, beyond that expected with severe sepsis. This has led to a lower threshold for starting anticoagulation strategies empirically, particularly in the ICU setting. The possible protective effects of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy against thrombotic events associated with Covid-19 have not been studied yet.\n\nResearch question: In symptomatic patients with a positive Covid-19 test, do those with pre-admission anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy experience better clinical outcomes and lower risk of thrombotic events?\n\nProposed benefits: Informing anticoagulation or antiplatelet use and wider clinical decision-making to improve care in patients suffering from Covid-19.\n\nStudy design: Retrospective analysis of anonymised patient data from our electronic clinical records. We will include all symptomatic adult patients who presented to our hospital trust with a positive Covid-19 test, from the earliest date (March 2020) until the time of data collection.\nWe will compare baseline parameters and clinical outcomes for two groups of interest: 1) patients who were taking anticoagulation or antiplatelet medications at admission to hospital, 2) patients who were not taking these medications before coming to hospital.\nThis information is available on our electronic patients records, so patients will not have to be contacted. It is a retrospective observational analysis, and therefore will not affect the care of patients whose data we will anonymise, collect and analyse. This study will be a snapshot taken at the time of data collection, and will not run over any protracted period of time; we aim to conclude all analyses within one month.
REC name
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REC reference
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