Cardiac tamponade secondary to haemopericardium in a patient on warfarin.
Acute cardiac tamponade requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. We report a case involving a 70-year-old man who was receiving warfarin treatment for 12 years following mitral valve replacement. The international normalised ratio (INR) was checked and echocardiography performed regularly in the clinic. The last INR was 2.1, checked 2 weeks before admission to the emergency department. The last echocardiography performed 3 months previously revealed no pericardial effusion. The patient suffered from progressive dyspnoea and orthopnoea for several days. Cardiac tamponade was diagnosed, and the INR at that time was 7.52. Urgent pericardiocentesis and pericardiotomy were undertaken and 1300 ml of pericardial blood was drained. Following surgery the patient's recovery was uneventful. An intravenous vitamin K injection and fresh frozen plasma transfusion were administered to reverse the patient's over-anticoagulated state. The final pathology revealed chronic inflammation and there was no malignancy, and no bacteria or mycobacterium were seen. Emergency physicians should remember that over-anticoagulation with warfarin may contribute to certain complications, including haemopericardium, and that strict control of target INR should be the goal for patients who require continuous warfarin treatment.
Hong
Yu-Cheng
YC
Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University and medical college, Linkou, Taiwan.
Chen
Yi-Guan
YG
Hsiao
Cheng-Ting
CT
Kuan
Jen-tse
JT
Chiu
Te-Fa
TF
Chen
Jih-Chang
JC
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000925:Anticoagulants; D003287:Contrast Media; D014859:Warfarin
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