Intern Med J. 2020 Jul 20. doi: 10.1111/imj.14993. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Reversal of warfarin with prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC) is required in cases of significant bleeding or need for urgent surgery. A weight-based regimen is commonly, but a fixed-dose approach is also feasible with clinically equivalent outcomes. The purpose of this audit is to review the clinical and laboratory outcomes of patients treated in our centre where fixed-dose PCC is used for warfarin reversal.
OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to evaluate the post-reversal INR. Secondary objectives were the proportion of patients requiring repeat PCC and 30-day complication rates (death, haemorrhage and thrombosis). A subgroup analysis was also performed to compare the outcomes of those who received a dose of ≤15 IU/kg (reduced dose) to those who received >15 IU/kg (standard dose).
METHODS: Patients who received three-factor PCC for warfarin reversal between 1st January and 31st December 2016 were identified and analysed. Clinical data and PCC dosages were extracted from electronic patient records.
RESULTS: Total of 144 patients were analysed. The median INR pre-reversal was 3.25 (range 1.4-10), which reduced to 1.5 (0.9-3.0) post-reversal. 87% of patients achieved a post-reversal INR of less than 2 and 55% less than 1.5. Sixteen patients required a repeat dose. Complications occurred in 22 patients (15.3%), which consisted of 15 deaths, 7 thrombosis and 2 haemorrhage. No statistically significant differences in the primary and secondary outcomes were noted between reduced-dose and standard-dose subgroups.
CONCLUSION: Our results support the use of fixed-dose PCC for warfarin reversal in a day-to-day clinical practice in a hospital setting. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID:32687237 | DOI:10.1111/imj.14993