Supplementary Online Content Mismetti P, Laporte S, Pellerin O, Ennezat P-V, Couturaud F, Elias A, et al. Effect of a retrievable inferior vena cava filter plus anticoagulation vs anticoagulation alone on risk of recurrent pulmonary embolism: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.3780. emethods. Anticoagulant treatment, interim statistical analysis, and outcome definitions etable 1. Method used to diagnose pulmonary embolism before inclusion etable 2. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of clinical outcomes during the entire study period, according to study group etable 3. Bleeding complications etable 4. Cause of deaths efigure 1. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of recurrent venous thromboembolism during the entire study period, according to study group efigure 2. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of major bleeding during the entire study period, according to study group efigure 3. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of death from any cause during the entire study period, according to study group ereferences.
This supplementary material has been provided by the authors to give readers additional information about their work.
emethods. Anticoagulant treatment Patients in both study groups received full-dose anticoagulant therapy according to guidelines. 1 Treatment was initiated with unfractionated heparin (mandatory in patients with a creatinine clearance of 30 ml per minute or less), low-molecular-weight heparin or fondaparinux. Parenteral anticoagulant treatment overlapped with vitamin K antagonist therapy (the type being left to the investigator's discretion) and was continued for at least five days and until the international normalized ratio (INR) was above 2.0 for two consecutive days. Vitamin K antagonist therapy was continued for six months with adjustment of the dose to maintain the INR between 2.0 and 3.0, values being determined at least once a month. Patients with active cancer (without severe renal insufficiency) were to received low-molecular-weight heparin for six months rather than vitamin K antagonist therapy. 1 Interim statistical analysis An interim analysis after inclusion and follow-up of the first 200 patients was planned to check whether the study should be stopped due to futility or early efficacy. The trial was to be stopped for futility if the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the incidence of the primary outcome in the control group was below 4%. The observed incidence was 1.7% (95% CI, 0.2 to 6.1%). The interim efficacy analysis was performed using Peto methods for stopping and for protecting the type I error. 2,3 Early efficacy was defined as a significant difference between the two groups at the two-sided threshold of α=0.001. This analysis showed that, by three months, recurrent pulmonary embolism had occurred in 2 of 116 patients (1.7%) in the control group and in 3 of 114 patients (2.6%) in the filter group (relative risk with filter, 1.53; 95% CI, 0.26 to 8.96; P=0.64). Based on these results, the independent data and safety monitoring committee recommended that the study be continued as planned, a recommendation that was followed by the steering committee without knowledge of the outcomes in the two study groups. Outcome definitions Recurrent fatal or symptomatic non-fatal pulmonary embolism and recurrent or new deep-vein thrombosis were objectively confirmed on the basis of previously described criteria. 4,5 Recurrent pulmonary embolism Symptoms of pulmonary embolism with one of the following findings: A new intraluminal filling defect on spiral CT or pulmonary angiography, A new cut-off of vessels more than 2.5 mm in diameter on pulmonary angiography, A new perfusion defect concerning at least 75% of a segment with corresponding normal ventilation on ventilation/perfusion lung scan (i.e., a high-probability lung scan), A new non-diagnostic lung scan associated with deep-vein thrombosis as documented by ultrasonography or venography, or A new pulmonary embolism confirmed at autopsy. Pulmonary embolism was considered to be the cause of death if there was objective documentation or if death could not be attributed to any other documented cause and pulmonary embolism could not be ruled out. Recurrent or new deep-vein thrombosis Symptoms of deep-vein thrombosis with one of the following findings: A new non-compressible venous segment or a substantial increase (of 4 mm or more) in the diameter of the thrombus during full compression in a previously abnormal segment on ultrasonography, or A new intraluminal filling defect on venography. Major bleeding
Bleeding was defined as major if it was overt and met at least one of the criteria listed by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis for the definition of major bleeding in non-surgical patients: 6 Fatal In a critical organ (e.g. intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, retroperitoneal, pericardial or adrenal) Associated with a fall in hemoglobin concentration of 2 g/dl or more compared with baseline, Leading to transfusion of two or more units of packed red blood cells or whole blood. Filter complications Filter complications were assessed according to definitions based on those adopted by the Society of Interventional Radiology. 7,8 Migration: cranial or caudal change in filter position of more than 20 mm compared with initial position as documented by plain film imaging, computerized tomography, or venography. Tilting: deviation greater than 15 from the central axis of the vena cava as assessed by cavography. Penetration: extension of filter strut or anchor device more than 3 mm beyond the wall of the inferior vena cava demonstrated by computerized tomography, ultrasounds, venography, or autopsy. Access site hematoma: any hematoma with a size of 100 cm 2 or more, or leading to an increase of more than 24 hours in compression time, or necessitating bed rest or an increase in bed rest time, or leading to a change in anticoagulant treatment, or leading to transfusion of one unit or more of packed red blood cells or whole blood. Infection: any local or systemic infection related to filter insertion or retrieval and necessitating antibiotic therapy. All abdominal X-ray examinations were read centrally by a vascular radiologist.
etable 1. Method used to diagnose pulmonary embolism before inclusion (N=200) (N=199) Spiral computed tomography 164 (82.0) 163 (81.9) High-probability ventilation-perfusion lung scan 29 (14.5) 31 (15.6) Intermediate-probability ventilation-perfusion lung scan 5 (2.5) 4 (2.0) associated with objectively confirmed proximal deep-vein thrombosis Pulmonary angiography 0 (0.0) 1 (0.5) Could not be confirmed 2 (1.0) 0 (0.0)
etable 2. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of clinical outcomes during the entire study period, according to study group a No. of patients with at least one event Filter group (N=200) Control group (N=199) no. with event(s) (% b ) Hazard ratio % (95% CI) P Value Clinical outcomes at three months Recurrent pulmonary embolism 6 (3.0) 3 (1.5) 2.02 (0.51 to 8.09) 0.31 (primary efficacy outcome) Recurrent deep-vein thrombosis 1 (0.5) 1 (0.5) 1.02 (0.06 to 16.24) 0.99 Recurrent enous thromboembolism 7 (3.5) 4 (2.0) 1.77 (0.52 to 6.04) 0.36 Major bleeding 8 (4.1) 10 (5.1) 0.82 (0.32 to 2.07) 0.67 Death 15 (7.5) 12 (6.0) 1.27 (0.60 to 2.72) 0.53 Clinical outcomes at six months Recurrent pulmonary embolism 7 (3.5) 4 (2.0) 1.78 (0.52 to 6.09) 0.35 Recurrent deep-vein thrombosis 1 (0.5) 2 (1.0) 0.51 (0.05 to 5.62) 0.57 Recurrent venous thromboembolism 8 (4.1) 6 (3.1) 1.36 (0.47 to 3.91) 0.57 Major bleeding 13 (6.8) 15 (10.0) 0.88 (0.42 to 1.85) 0.74 Death 21 (10.6) 15 (9.4) 1.43 (0.74 to 2.77) 0.29 a Analysis of the cumulative incidence curve, taking into account death as a competing risk for the assessment of outcomes, yielded similar results (data not shown). b Percentages are Kaplan-Meier estimates.
etable 3. Bleeding complications No. of patients with at least one event (N=200) a (N=199) no. with event(s) (%) Major bleeding at three months 8 (4.0) 10 (5.0) Fatal 0 1 In a critical organ 3 1 Leading to transfusion of 2 units of 2 6 packed red blood cells or whole blood Associated with a 2 g/dl fall in hemoglobin 3 2 Major bleeding at six months 13 (6.5) 15 (7.5) Fatal 0 1 In a critical organ 6 2 Leading to transfusion of 2 units of 2 8 packed red blood cells or whole blood Associated with a 2 g/dl fall in hemoglobin 5 4 Site of major bleeding b Intracranial 2 1 Retroperitoneal 2 0 Gastrointestinal 3 8 c Urogenital 0 2 Cutaneous 4 1 Other d 4 4 a One patient in the filter group was lost to follow-up. Patients could experience major bleeding at more than one site. c One was fatal. d 1 epistaxis, 1 hemoptysis and 2 hematomas in each group.
etable 4. Causes of death No. of patients with each causative event (N=200) a no. with event (%) Death at six months 21 (10.6) 15 (7.5) Cancer 7 6 Pulmonary embolism 6 1 (N=199) Sudden death in which pulmonary embolism 0 2 could not be ruled out Bleeding 0 1 Acute heart failure 0 1 End-stage chronic respiratory insufficiency 1 1 Of unknown origin 7 3 a One patient in the filter group was lost to follow-up
efigure 1. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of recurrent venous thromboembolism during the entire study period, according to study group HR=1.36 [0.47; 3.91], p=0.57 No. at Risk 199 200 186 183 183 177
efigure 2. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of major bleeding during the entire study period, according to study group HR=0.88 [0.42; 1.85], p=0.74 No. at Risk 199 200 178 176 170 165
efigure 3. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the probability of death from any cause during the entire study period, according to study group HR=1.43 [0.74; 2.77], p=0.29 No. at Risk 199 200 187 184 184 178
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