Vitamin K deficiency with hemorrhage after kidney and combined kidney-pancreas transplantation.
Vitamin K deficiency is a common occurrence in the surgical and intensive care unit population, but its incidence in kidney and combined kidney-pancreas allograft recipients has not been described. We report four patients who received cadaveric kidney or combined kidney-pancreas allografts and subsequently developed significant bleeding associated with deficiency of vitamin K. Their coagulopathy promptly resolved with the parenteral administration of vitamin K. Treatment with vitamin K should be considered in kidney or combined kidney-pancreas allograft recipients with a prolonged prothrombin or partial thromboplastin time during the first postoperative week to avoid hemorrhagic complications.
Prasad
G V
GV
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Abidi
S M
SM
McCauley
J
J
Johnston
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014813:Vitamin K Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy
D014812:Vitamin K