Understanding the management of patients with head injury taking warfarin: who should we scan and when? Lessons from the AHEAD study

In old anticoagulated patients with mild traumatic brain injury, a 24-h observation period should not be recommended without evidence of a clear benefit: a retrospective study of delayed hemorrhagic versus iatrogenic complications

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common cause of admission to the Emergency Department (ED). Many patients are elderly on oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) at increased risk of immediate and delayed intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). To investigate the frequency of delayed ICH (DICH) in old patients with mTBI in OAT and the occurrence of complications related to the ED stay. In this single-center retrospective study, we recruited all patients in OAT aged 65 and over, admitted for mTBI to the ED of our Hospital in Florence from March 2019 to February 2021. Clinical variables were collected and cranial computed tomography (CT) scans reviewed. The primary outcome was the frequency of DICH occurring within 30 days since the trauma after a first negative CT. Secondary outcomes included need of neurosurgical intervention and death for DICH, and hospital-related complications. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 22). Among 363 enrolled patients, there were 31 acute ICH (8.5%) at the first CT scan, while in the 316 negative included patients, 10 DICH (3.2%) were identified. Among the latter, no neurosurgical treatment, or death due to ICH occurred. Overall, 25 cases (6.9%) had iatrogenic complications during the 24-h observation period, often serious, such as respiratory failure after sedation due to restlessness, or COVID-19 infection. The low frequency of DICH and the occurrence of several iatrogenic complications suggest that the risk-benefit ratio of a 24-h ED observation is not advantageous in elderly with mTBI.

Routine Repeat Imaging is Unnecessary for Coagulopathic Patients Sustaining Head Trauma

INTRODUCTION

In trauma patients using warfarin, current guidelines recommend computed tomography of the brain (CTH), 24-hour observation, and repeat CTH to monitor for stability. Despite growing evidence of uncommon delayed hemorrhage, this remains standard practice even in mild traumatic brain injury without intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Our study sought to determine the incidence and outcomes of delayed ICH (DICH) in trauma patients on supra-therapeutic warfarin without initial ICH.

METHODS

A retrospective, single institutional study was performed of all adult trauma patients (>18 years old) who presented on prehospital warfarin with an international normalized ratio (INR) >3 and initial CTH that did not demonstrate ICH. Each of these patients underwent subsequent CTH within 24 hours and any DICH was identified. Those who demonstrated DICH were further examined to identify potential risk factors and outcomes such as need for further imaging or surgical intervention. Analyses were performed using Fisher's exact tests and Student's t-tests.

RESULTS

225 patients were identified from January 2015 to April 2021 that met inclusion criteria. Of those identified, only 3 (1.33%) were found to develop any DICH on routine repeat CTH. Identified characteristics did not reach statistical significance due to the low number of DICH. None of the patients with DICH went on to require intervention.

CONCLUSION

In patients with identified traumatic injury on supra-therapeutic warfarin, an initial CTH without identified ICH alone is an adequate survey. DICH in these patients is uncommon and routine reimaging within 24 hours is unlikely to change clinical management in patients with intact neurologic status.