title: Prothrombin complex concentrate for oral anticoagulant reversal in neurosurgical emergencies.
abstract: The incidence of spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage has increased markedly in line with the increased use of oral anticoagulant agents. Recent guidelines for reversal of this acquired coagulation defect in an emergency have been established, but they are not adhered to in all centres. Our unit is referred between 20 and 60 patients per year (1994-1999) who are anticoagulated and require urgent neurosurgical intervention. In order to investigate this, we performed a prospective study using prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). PCC was given to the first six patients with intracranial haemorrhage admitted to the neurosurgical unit requiring urgent correction of anticoagulation (Group 1) and compared with patients receiving standard treatment with fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K (Group 2). Mean International Normalised Ratios of Group 1 were 4.86 pretreatment and 1.32 posttreatment, and of Group 2 were 5.32 and 2.30, respectively. Results for complete reversal and reversal time were significant for PCC with p < 0.001. We recommend PCC for rapid and effective reversal of warfarin in life-threatening neurosurgical emergencies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG2 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cartmill
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014859:Warfarin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D014812:Vitamin K; C025667:prothrombin complex concentrates; D014859:Warfarin