Evaluation of a Pediatric Enoxaparin Dosing Protocol and the Impact on Clinical Outcomes

Abstract

OBJECTIVESEnoxaparin has been studied for prophylaxis and treatment of thromboembolism in the pediatric population. Dose-finding studies have suggested higher mean maintenance dose requirements in younger children; however, the current recommended dosing schema endorsed by the American College of Chest Physicians remains conservative, likely secondary to limited data on the safety and efficacy of escalated starting doses. Primary objectives of this study included the identification of patient characteristics and risk factors with associations to anti–factor Xa (anti-Xa) values. The secondary objective was to determine an association between the initial anti-Xa value and thrombus resolution. Safety outcomes related to bleeding were also assessed.METHODSThis retrospective cohort study reviewed records of all pediatric patients ≤18 years of age who were initiated on therapeutic subcutaneous enoxaparin between October 1, 2008, and October 1, 2018, at Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota for an indication of incident thrombus (N = 283).RESULTSSuccessful resolution of thrombus was directly associated with attaining a therapeutic anti-Xa concentration upon first laboratory evaluation. Other characteristics with associations to initial anti-Xa values included age, body mass index, and certain diagnoses. The rate of composite bleeding was consistent across concentrations of anti-Xa (p = 0.4944).CONCLUSIONSDespite adherence to protocol, the current enoxaparin dosing nomogram is only successful at achieving a therapeutic anti-Xa concentration (0.5–1.0 unit/mL) 55.8% of the time. A more aggressive enoxaparin dosing nomogram is warranted, as delaying time to therapeutic anti-Xa values impacts clinical outcomes, specifically thrombus resolution. Further investigation into characteristics with association to anti-Xa concentrations is needed.