title: Hip arthroplasty fatality related to dabigatran induced gastrointestinal haemorrhage.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, UK. alicarter@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corbett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000069604:Dabigatran; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D011725:Pyridines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D011725:Pyridines; D000069604:Dabigatran