Loading...
Warfarin therapy increases risk for gastrointestinal bleeding in patients who also take nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). No studies have been designed specifically to examine the effect of warfarin in patients who take cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs).
To address this issue, investigators in Toronto performed a nested case-control study of older patients (age, >66) who took warfarin during a 1-year period. Cases and controls were identified using linked databases in Ontario. Cases were defined as patients who received warfarin and who were hospitalized for GI bleeding episodes (as defined by specific ICD-9 codes). As many as four control patients, matched by age and sex, were selected for each case. Frequencies…