Intracranial hemorrhage during dabigatran treatment.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of intracranial bleeding during dabigatran treatment is lower than that during warfarin treatment. The characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage during dabigatran therapy, however, remain unclear.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The clinical data and treatment summaries of 9 intracranial bleeds that developed during dabigatran treatment in 8 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation were retrospectively reviewed. Five patients had small-moderate subdural hematomas, 2 had intracerebral hemorrhage and 1 had traumatic subarachnoid and parenchymal hemorrhage associated with cerebral contusion. Activated partial thromboplastin time upon admission ranged from 31.6 to 72.4s. After admission, systolic blood pressure in the 2 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage was maintained below 140 mmHg, and the subdural hematomas in 4 patients were surgically treated. None of the hematomas became enlarged and outcome was good in most cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Hematomas that arise due to acute intracranial bleeding during dabigatran treatment seem to remain small to moderate, hard to expand, and manageable.