Hemarthrosis Complicating Anticoagulant Therapy

Acute Knee Haemarthrosis: A Case Report Describing Diagnosis and Management for a Patient on Anticoagulation Medication

“…More specifi cally, oral anticoagulation therapy is associated with more adverse events in older adults that result in emergency department visits than other medications (Budnitz et al, 2007). While oral anticoagulation therapy is considered an associated factor in haemarthrosis, spontaneous haemarthrosis associated with oral anticoagulation therapy as described in this case is relatively rare, with frequencies estimated at 1.5% or less (McLaughlin et al, 1966;Riley and Spencer, 1987;Dennis et al, 2000), with the knee joint most commonly affected. While it is rare that an acute knee haemarthrosis is caused by a serious underlying medical condition, this possibility must always be considered.…”

Potentiation of Oral Anticoagulation and Hemarthrosis Associated with Nabumetone

“…The frequency of spontaneous hemarthrosis as a complication of oral anticoagulation therapy was reported as 0-1.5%. 9 Anticoagulation is considered an associated factor in hemarthrosis, 10,11 although the degree to which an elevation in INR contributes to this complication appears uncertain. In most case reports the hemarthrosis occurred before the INR was adopted as a standard monitoring system, [9][10][11][12][13][14] making generalization of associated prothrombin times problematic.…”

“…9 Anticoagulation is considered an associated factor in hemarthrosis, 10,11 although the degree to which an elevation in INR contributes to this complication appears uncertain. In most case reports the hemarthrosis occurred before the INR was adopted as a standard monitoring system, [9][10][11][12][13][14] making generalization of associated prothrombin times problematic. In patients for whom prothrombin times were recorded, elevations of 2.4-5.4 times control, 10 2 times control, 11 approximately 1.4 times control, 12 24 seconds, 13 and 2-8 times control 14 have been associated with hemarthrosis.…”

Hemarthroses and Warfarin: Joint Destruction with Anticoagulation

“…The cause of this patient's joint destruction seems clearly related to the hemarthroses he suffered while taking anticoagulants. Descriptions of anticoagulant-induced hemarthroses can be found in a number of reports (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Although rather uncommon with heparin, the joint bleeds are usually quickly reversible with cessation of the drug (2,(6)(7)(8).…”

“…Recurrent hemarthroses may occur in patients with hemophilia, severe von Willebrand's disease, factor IX deficiency and other inherited coagulation disorders (1). Repeated episodes of hemarthroses in patients on anticoagulants are uncommon (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). In this report we describe a patient who suffered monoarticular joint destruction due to recurrent hemarthroses while taking warfarin.…”