Abstract
In the Netherlands, pediatric patients treated with
vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are monitored by specialized anticoagulation clinics as in adults. To evaluate
the number of pediatric patients, the indications, the
quality and management of VKA therapy in children,
a questionnaire was sent to all coagulation clinics
in 2017. An identical questionnaire was sent in 2009.
In 2017, 34 of the 50 anticoagulation clinics (68.0%)
returned information about 279 patients. In 2009 this
percentage was 79.3% (46 out of the 58 anticoagulation
clinics) with information about 243 patients. Acenocoumarol was the preferred VKA. The percentage of
patients with an INR in the low and high therapeutic
range was 67.1% (2009: 76.8%) and 64.8% (2009:
71.6%), respectively. Blood samples were more frequently collected through capillary sampling in 2017
(88.9%) than in 2009 (60.1%). The number of blood
samples collected by parents and/or patients themselves increased (2009: 55.4%; 2017: 70.6%). In contrast, self-dosing decreased (2017: 11.8%; 2009: 27.5%).
In conclusion, the overall quality of VKA therapy in
children is good in the Netherlands. Improving selfmanagement, especially self-dosing, under supervision of a specialized anticoagulation clinic may further
advance quality of therapy.
vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are monitored by specialized anticoagulation clinics as in adults. To evaluate
the number of pediatric patients, the indications, the
quality and management of VKA therapy in children,
a questionnaire was sent to all coagulation clinics
in 2017. An identical questionnaire was sent in 2009.
In 2017, 34 of the 50 anticoagulation clinics (68.0%)
returned information about 279 patients. In 2009 this
percentage was 79.3% (46 out of the 58 anticoagulation
clinics) with information about 243 patients. Acenocoumarol was the preferred VKA. The percentage of
patients with an INR in the low and high therapeutic
range was 67.1% (2009: 76.8%) and 64.8% (2009:
71.6%), respectively. Blood samples were more frequently collected through capillary sampling in 2017
(88.9%) than in 2009 (60.1%). The number of blood
samples collected by parents and/or patients themselves increased (2009: 55.4%; 2017: 70.6%). In contrast, self-dosing decreased (2017: 11.8%; 2009: 27.5%).
In conclusion, the overall quality of VKA therapy in
children is good in the Netherlands. Improving selfmanagement, especially self-dosing, under supervision of a specialized anticoagulation clinic may further
advance quality of therapy.
| Original language | Dutch |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 223-229 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Hematologie |
| Volume | 19 |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2019 |