Journal-based CME Course: Effect of P2Y12 Inhibitors on Survival Free of Organ Support Among NonCritically Ill Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 – A Randomized Clinical Trial

Activity ID

11424

Expires

January 21, 2025

Format Type

Journal-based

CME Credit

1

Fee

$30

CME Provider: JAMA

Description of CME Course

Importance  Platelets represent a potential therapeutic target for improved clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Objective  To evaluate the benefits and risks of adding a P2Y12 inhibitor to anticoagulant therapy among non–critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Design, Setting, and Participants  An open-label, bayesian, adaptive randomized clinical trial including 562 non–critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19 was conducted between February 2021 and June 2021 at 60 hospitals in Brazil, Italy, Spain, and the US. The date of final 90-day follow-up was September 15, 2021.

Interventions  Patients were randomized to a therapeutic dose of heparin plus a P2Y12 inhibitor (n = 293) or a therapeutic dose of heparin only (usual care) (n = 269) in a 1:1 ratio for 14 days or until hospital discharge, whichever was sooner. Ticagrelor was the preferred P2Y12 inhibitor.

Main Outcomes and Measures  The composite primary outcome was organ support–free days evaluated on an ordinal scale that combined in-hospital death (assigned a value of −1) and, for those who survived to hospital discharge, the number of days free of respiratory or cardiovascular organ support up to day 21 of the index hospitalization (range, −1 to 21 days; higher scores indicate less organ support and better outcomes). The primary safety outcome was major bleeding by 28 days as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis.

Results  Enrollment of non–critically ill patients was discontinued when the prespecified criterion for futility was met. All 562 patients who were randomized (mean age, 52.7 [SD, 13.5] years; 41.5% women) completed the trial and 87% received a therapeutic dose of heparin by the end of study day 1. In the P2Y12 inhibitor group, ticagrelor was used in 63% of patients and clopidogrel in 37%. The median number of organ support–free days was 21 days (IQR, 20-21 days) among patients in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and was 21 days (IQR, 21-21 days) in the usual care group (adjusted odds ratio, 0.83 [95% credible interval, 0.55-1.25]; posterior probability of futility [defined as an odds ratio <1.2], 96%). Major bleeding occurred in 6 patients (2.0%) in the P2Y12 inhibitor group and in 2 patients (0.7%) in the usual care group (adjusted odds ratio, 3.31 [95% CI, 0.64-17.2]; P = .15).

Conclusions and Relevance  Among non–critically ill patients hospitalized for COVID-19, the use of a P2Y12 inhibitor in addition to a therapeutic dose of heparin, compared with a therapeutic dose of heparin only, did not result in an increased odds of improvement in organ support–free days within 21 days during hospitalization.

Trial Registration  ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04505774

Disclaimers

1. This activity is accredited by the American Medical Association.
2. This activity is free to AMA members.

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