[Fatal outcome for a patient in treatment with dabigatran suffering a subtrochanteric femoral fracture].

An 82-year-old woman in treatment with the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran etexilate (a new oral anticoagulant (NOAC)) was admitted with a subtrochanteric femoral fracture and surgery was initiated 15 hours after admittance. She had a blood loss of 6,000 ml and died the next morning from multi-organ failure. In 2013 1.8% of hip fracture patients in Funen received NOACs. Surgery is recommended within 24 hours for hip fracture patients to reduce mortality, but patients in treatment with NOACs should wait at least 48 hours before major surgery. Care should be taken when prescribing NOACs to patients with high risk of falling.