Key Points
- To evaluate the clinical outcomes and management strategies for patients who develop intracranial hemorrhage while taking the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran.
- Reviewed the clinical presentation and management of 3 patients presenting with intracranial hemorrhage either spontaneously or following low-energy head trauma while taking dabigatran.
- Conducted a review of published literature on traumatic brain injury management and rapid reversal protocols for dabigatran.
- Clinical courses of intracranial hemorrhage in dabigatran-treated patients varied substantially, ranging from benign recovery to severe or malignant deterioration.
- Experience with rapid dabigatran reversal remains limited compared to warfarin, underscoring the necessity of immediate hospital admission, continuous neurological checks, and serial CT imaging.
Structured PICO
PPopulation3 patients who experienced an intracranial hemorrhage either spontaneously or after low-energy cranial trauma while taking dabigatran
OOutcomeClinical course and management of intracranial hemorrhagesafety
Highlights the clinical challenge of managing intracranial hemorrhage in patients on dabigatran given the lack of established reversal strategies at the time.