A Rare Side Effect Secondary to Warfarin Use: Retropharyngeal Hematoma

Abstract

Introduction: In this case report, we aimed to explain the importance of urgent management in the diagnosis and treatment of a patient who developed retropharyngeal hematoma as a result of the toxicity of warfarin he used due to atrial fibrillation.Case Report: A 76-year-old male patient came to the emergency room with complaints of sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and shortness of breath. At the time of admission of the patient using warfarin due to atrial fibrillation, oropharynx examination revealed normal uvula, hematoma near the right lip mucosa, and stridor was detected in the lung auscultation of the patient whose trachea was deviated to the left. In the laboratory tests at the time of the patient's admission, INR was: 13.4. The patient was given 10 mg phytomenadione(K1) iv infusion and 80 mg prednisolone iv. 4 units(1000 ml) of FFP(fresh frozen plasma) was requested. The patient who developed respiratory distress was intubated and transferred to intensive care unit. Conclusion:Warfarin toxicity may rarely cause bleeding in the upper respiratory tract, and if it creates pressure on the respiratory tract, it may pose a serious life-threatening risk.