Anticoagulation Regimens in Pregnant Patients With Prosthetic Heart Valves

Clinical Trial Summary

Pregnancy is associated with increased risk of thrombosis among women with mechanical prosthetic heart valves.However, the best anticoagulant treatment strategies for pregnant patients with prosthetic heart valves have been controversial. In this study the investigators wanted to identify the most effective and safe regimen among different anticoagulant regimens.

Four different anticoagulant treatment regimens for pregnant patients with prosthetic heart valves have been described. In the first arm warfarin is stopped and enoxaparine is started in 1mg/kg dose twice a day which is monitored by weekly anti-Xa levels (between 0.7-1.2) during the first trimester and followed by only warfarin after first trimester. In the second arm, if the patient's warfarin consumption is more than 5 mg before pregnancy, warfarin dose is decreased to 2.5 mg during the first trimester combined with enoxaparine in 1mg/kg dose twice a day; adjusted by measurements of anti-Xa levels (between 0.5-1) weekly until the end of 12th week of pregnancy . In the third arm warfarin dose is decreased to 4 mg during the first trimester combined with enoxaparine given in a similar manner. If the patient's therapeutic warfarin dose is less than 5 mg before pregnancy, warfarin is continued in the same dose during all the pregnancy in the 4th arm. All patients are followed by serial transesophageal echocardiography performed at 0,3,6 and 9. months of pregnancy. Informed consent is taken from all patients. After delivery the babies are examined by a experinced pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist for any congenital anomalies. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Heart; Complications, Valve, Prosthesis
• Pregnancy