Improved survival of patients with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage: a retrospective longitudinal population-based study

Warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage carries poor outcome due to rapid haemorrhage growth. Reversal of warfarin anticoagulation with prothrombin complex concentrate has been implemented as an acute treatment option for these subjects.

We investigated whether survival of subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage had improved after implementation of reversal of warfarin anticoagulation with prothrombin complex concentrate.

We identified all subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage during 1993–2008 among the population of Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. From 2004 onwards, prothrombin complex concentrate was used in Oulu University Hospital, the only hospital treating intracerebral haemorrhage subjects in the region, to counteract the effect of warfarin in subjects with warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage. We compared the outcomes of subjects admitted during 1993–2003 and 2004–2008 and those treated and not treated with prothrombin complex concentrate. We also explored the predictors for one-year survival of the warfarin-associated intracerebral haemorrhage subjects. Read more