The Effect Of Anticoagulant Choice On Venous Thromboembolism Recurrence And Bleeding In Sickle Cell Disease

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience accelerated morbidity and mortality. Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a risk factor for early mortality in SCD, occurs in 11-12% of patients with SCD by the age of 40. While indefinite anticoagulation is indicated in the SCD population, there is limited understanding of comparative efficacy and hemorrhagic risk of individual anticoagulation agents in this population. We reviewed the use of anticoagulation for treatment of VTE in patients with SCD at our institution to begin to address these questions.