title: Emergency reversal of vitamin-K antagonists related over-anticoagulation: case report and brief overview on the role of prothrombin complex concentrate.
abstract: Oral anticoagulation is a widely used treatment and atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent indication. We review the therapeutic options on an important clinical challenge: rapid reversal anticoagulation in the setting of an urgent invasive procedure. We report a case of a 71-year-old man treated with warfarin who was over-anticoagulated when presented to the emergency department for syncope due to severe bradiarrhythmia and needed temporary pacing. Intravenous infusion of vitamin-k was not adequate for rapid reversal over anticoagulation whereas the administration of a Prothrombin Complex Concentrate (PCC) was able to quickly reverse anticoagulant activity and allowed the performance of an urgent invasive procedure without hemorrhagic complication. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to possible therapeutic strategies to reduce the risk of bleeding related to over-anticoagulation with vitamin-K antagonists (VKAs) in case of urgent invasive procedure, emphasizing the role of PCC in keeping with national and international guidelines.
authors.forename: Stefania Angela
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Di Fusco
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aspromonte
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aquilani
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colivicchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014859:Warfarin / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D014812:Vitamin K; C025667:prothrombin complex concentrates; D014859:Warfarin