Dabigatran-Induced Nephropathy and Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Its Successful Treatment with Idarucizumab: A Case Report

Abstract

Recently, the atrial fibrillation treatment guidelines have been updated to now recommend Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) as the preferred alternative to warfarin for systemic embolism and stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. NOACs have major pharmacologic advantages over warfarin, although the most common complications are gastrointestinal bleeding and NOAC-induced nephropathy within 6 weeks after starting therapy, as several recent case-reports stated. We are reporting for the first time a chronic delayed adverse reaction (regularly reported to Authorities) observed in an 82-year-old woman 27 months after starting dabigatran (110 mg twice a day), characterized by concomitant gastrointestinal bleeding and nephropathy. Idarucizumab administration immediately improved both bleeding and renal parameters. Moreover, we are going to highlight the importance of the compliance, the adherence to the therapeutic plan and the supervision of the Hospital Pharmacy on drug prescriptions. In fact in our case, dabigatran was firstly prescribed by the neurologist and delivered by the hospital pharmacy, but the patient continued the treatment for 27 months, prescribed by general practitioner without any laboratory control. This lack of supervision certainly contributed to the onset of the adverse reaction reported.

Keywords: Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs); dabigatran; gastrointestinal bleeding; idarucizumab; nephropathy.

Figure 1.

Renal function trends, respectively serum creatinine expressed as mg/dL (sCR, panel A) and estimated glomerular filtration rate expressed as mL/min (eGFR, panel B) during hospitalization.