Effect of prothrombin complex concentrate on hematoma enlargement and clinical outcome in patients with anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out to determine the effect of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) on hematoma enlargement (HE) and the early clinical outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients on long-term warfarin treatment.
METHODS: The medical records and computed tomography (CT) images of 50 consecutive ICH patients on long-term warfarin treatment (35 men, 15 women; 69 ± 12 years old) were reviewed. International normalized ratio (INR) values, frequency of HE and clinical outcome were compared between patients treated with and without PCC.
RESULTS: INR values on admission were above 2.0 in 37 patients, of whom 19 were given PCC (PCC group) and 18 were not given PCC (control group). In these 37 patients, the frequency of HE (p = 0.017), the number of patients with a poor clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 at 30 days or at discharge; p = 0.045) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.042) were significantly higher in the control than in the PCC group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment, PCC administration was independently associated (odds ratio 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.00-0.63; p = 0.023) with a reduction in poor clinical outcome in ICH patients whose INR values were >2.0 on admission.
CONCLUSIONS: Immediate INR reversal with PCC may prevent HE and subsequent poor outcome.