HEMORRHAGE DURING LONG-TERM ANTICOAGULANT DRUG THERAPY .1. INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGE

  • 1 January 1966
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 104  (1) , 6-+
Abstract
Hemorrhage During Long-Term Anticoagulant Drug Therapy: Intracranial hemorrhage was the most serious hemorrhage as measured by death and disability, occurring during long-term anticoagulant drug therapy of 1,626 patients. Among 95 hemorrhagic episodes considered life-threatening or potentially crippling, 30 were intracranial and 56 were gastro-intestinal. Over two-thirds of the patients with intracranial hemorrhage died, as against one-tenth of those with gastro-intestinal hemorrhage. The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is increased among hypertensive patients, but the results of a controlled study indicate that the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is not affected by whether or not the hypertensive patient is receiving anticoagulant therapy. Hypertension is the important precipitating factor, not the prothrombin level.