Published in:
01-04-2017 | Case Report
Dabigatran overdose: a case report of acute hepatitis. Extracorporeal treatment
Authors:
Mariagrazia Porru, Antonella Mameli, Maria E. Cianchetti, Mario Musu, Paola Schirru, Maria F. Ruberto, Doris Barcellona, Francesco Marongiu
Published in:
International Journal of Hematology
|
Issue 4/2017
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Abstract
Dabigatran is an oral, direct thrombin inhibitor approved by international regulatory agencies for stroke prevention in patients with paroxysmal or persistent non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation (AF). The benefits of dabigatran are widely described, but its use in the geriatric population is not without risk. Chronic kidney disease is a common comorbidity with AF, and thus frequent checks of renal function in elderly patients are recommended. We report a case of dabigatran intoxication in an elderly man affected by heart failure and worsening renal function, who developed acute hepatitis and coma, which was successfully treated with continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration. Although extracorporeal therapy has been suggested as a strategy for clearing dabigatran during acute bleeding, this approach may be useful in other dabigatran-related, life-threatening conditions, such as that described in this report.