Open AccessHip arthroplasty fatality related to dabigatran induced gastrointestinal haemorrhage
Author(s) -
A Carter,
Praveen Sarda,
Marc George,
Steve Corbett
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
annals of the royal college of surgeons of england
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.39
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1478-7083
pISSN - 0035-8843
DOI - 10.1308/003588414x13824511649779
Subject(s) - medicine , dabigatran , coagulopathy , complication , surgery , gastrointestinal bleeding , hip replacement , anesthesia , arthroplasty , warfarin , atrial fibrillation
We report a fatality due to massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage in a patient receiving prophylactic dabigatran etexilate following a total hip replacement. A 79-year-old woman was commenced on dabigatran for venous thromboembolic prophylaxis following a total hip replacement. She presented again four days after surgery with haematemesis and hypotension but her coagulopathy could not be corrected, leading to her death. This case highlights the lack of reversal agent for dabigatran etexilate that resulted in this fatal complication.