Background: In Vietnam, there has been no survey conducted on the prescribing and monitoring practices of oral anticoagulants to ensure that patients with atrial fibrillation receive appropriate. Objective: Therefore, we conducted this research to clarify the aforementioned issue in our hospital. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study by reviewing outpatient electronic medical records at the University Medical Center in Ho Chi Minh City. Our study included 1087 patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), who visited the Cardiology clinic between January 1st, 2021, and June 30th, 2021. Results: Among the 1087 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), 1036 were eligible for anticoagulant therapy. However, only 847 (81.8%) received prescriptions for either Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) (n=129, 15.2%) or Non-Vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) (n=718, 84.8%). NOAC prescriptions were more commonly found in patients aged 75 or older (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=2), those with health insurance coverage (adjusted OR=2.9), and in individuals with a history of hypertension (adjusted OR=2). On the contrary, patients with a farming occupation were less likely to be prescribed NOACs (adjusted OR=0.4). About 75% of patients adhered to the guidelines recommending close monitoring during anticoagulant treatment. Notably, inappropriate prescriptions were identified in 27.7% of cases, especially among those with no recorded body weight (which is necessary for precise dosing based on creatinine clearance), those without health insurance, those with undocumented CHA2DS2-VASc scores, or those who were concurrently using antiplatelet agents. Conclusion: A discrepancy persists between clinical guidelines and the actual practice in diagnosing and managing patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). It is crucial to prioritize the regular reevaluation of thromboembolic risk scores at follow-up appointments, ensure strict adherence to clinical monitoring standards, and align anticoagulant medication prescriptions with established guidelines.
Key words: Oral anticoagulant, non-valvular atrial fibrillation, prescribing, monitoring.
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