The headache over warfarin in British neurosurgical intensive care units: a national survey of current practice

Abstract

Objective: To ascertain current British practice regarding the emergency medical management of patients who sustain a spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) whilst receiving warfarin therapy and to compare this with established national and international guidelines.

Design: Standardised, telephone based, questionnaire survey.

Setting: All 32 adult British neuroscience intensive care units (ICUs)

Participants: Duty consultant of each neuroscience ICU.

Results: Response rate was 100%. The international normalised ratio (INR) would be reversed by over 90% of ICU consultants treating patients on warfarin with an ICH, except patients with mechanical heart valves (MHV), when only 59.4% would reverse. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) was used by 15 ICUs (46.9%); however, only six units (18.8%) apply reversal strategies with PCC and intravenous vitamin K in accordance with national guidelines. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) continues to be used by 71.9% of the ICUs. A protocol for warfarin reversal in ICH was present in five ICUs, of which four followed national guidelines. None of the units that use FFP had a protocol. Following ICH, two-thirds of the ICUs (65.6%) would commence bridging heparinisation in the first 4 days for MHV patients and 25% would recommence warfarin before, and 64.5% after, 7 days.

Conclusion: There is considerable variation in practice amongst clinicians who regularly manage these patients and, in most cases (81.2%), practice is not in keeping with national or international guidelines. This study has demonstrated the need amongst senior ICU clinicians for a heightened awareness of current treatment recommendations and the availability of effective haemostatic therapies.