Korean Patients with Superwarfarin Intoxication and Their Outcome

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 1754 - 1758
• Main Authors: Hong, Junshik, Yhim, Ho-Young, Bang, Soo-Mee, Bae, Sung Hwa, Yuh, Young Jin, Yoon, Sung-Soo, Yoon, Hwi-Joong, Kim, Seung Taik, Chi, Hyun-Sook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.12.2010; 대한의학회
• Subjects: 4-Hydroxycoumarins - poisoning; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anticoagulants - poisoning; Antifibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Environmental Exposure; Female; Hemorrhage - chemically induced; Hemorrhage - diagnosis; Hemorrhage - drug therapy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Partial Thromboplastin Time; Prothrombin Time; Republic of Korea; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin K 1 - therapeutic use; 의학일반; Republic of Korea; Rodenticides; Brodifacoum; Superwarfarin; Vitamin K
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2010.25.12.1754

This observational study aimed at evaluating recent superwarfarin intoxication of Korean patients. Ten patients were diagnosed as or highly suspicious for superwarfarin intoxication. Case report forms described by attending hematologists of the patients were collected and analyzed. Bleeding symptoms were varied among the patients. Patients uniformly showed prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and activated thromboplastin time (aPTT) with decreased activity of vitamin K dependent coagulation factors. Positive serum brodifacoum test results in 4 of 5 requested patients contributed to confirmatory diagnosis. Psychiatric interview revealed an attempted ingestion in one patient. High dose vitamin K1 therapy promptly corrected prolonged PT and aPTT, but hasty discontinuation caused repeated bleeding diathesis in 6 patients. Route of intoxication was unknown or not definite among 8 of 10 patients. Three patients had a possibility of environmental exposure considering their occupations: there might be intoxication by transdermal absorption or inhalation. Therefore, high dose and prolonged use of vitamin K1 therapy is necessary for effective detoxification. Further detailed investigation on environmental exposure and efforts to improve availability of the blood level test in clinic are requested.