Therapeutic Dilemmas regarding Anticoagulation: An Experience in a Patient with Nephrotic Syndrome, Pulmonary Embolism, and Traumatic Brain Injury

• Main Authors: Tetsu Akimoto, Tomoyuki Yamazaki, Eiji Kusano, Daisuke Nagata
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2016-09-01
• Series: Clinical Medicine Insights: Case Reports
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4137/CCRep.S40607

Patients with active bleeding complications who concomitantly develop overt pulmonary embolism (PE) present distinct therapeutic dilemmas, since they are perceived to be at substantial risk for the progression of the embolism in the absence of treatment and for aggravation of the hemorrhagic lesions if treated with anticoagulants. A 76-year-old patient with nephrotic syndrome, which is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, concurrently developed acute PE and intracranial bleeding because of traumatic brain injury. In this case, we prioritized the treatment for PE with the intravenous unfractionated heparin followed by warfarinization. Despite the transient hemorrhagic progression of the brain contusion after the institution of anticoagulation, our patient recovered favorably from the disease without any signs of neurological compromise. Several conundrums regarding anticoagulation that emerged in this case are also discussed.