Treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding with idarucizumab in a patient receiving dabigatran

Purpose A case report describing use of idarucizumab for dabigatran reversal without the use of hemostatic agents in a patient who developed acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding while receiving triple antithrombotic therapy is presented. Summary A 77-year-old man with a complex cardiac history presented to the emergency room with chief complaints of black tarry stools and low blood pressures for 4 days. His past medical history included recent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and drug-eluting stent (DES) placement, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stage 3 chronic kidney disease, and cholecystectomy. His triple antithrombotic therapy consisted of aspirin, clopidogrel, and dabigatran. The patient stated that his last dose of dabigatran was taken the night before. Serum dabigatran levels were not measured. Due to suspicion of acute upper GI bleeding, all antithrombotic agents were withheld. Treatment with idarucizumab, i.v. pantoprazole, and blood transfusion was ordered. An upper endoscopy was safely performed 24 hours later and revealed a minor Mallory-Weiss tear. The patient was discharged 48 hours later with prescriptions for acid suppressant and triple antithrombotic therapy; his melena had resolved before discharge. At 14-week follow-up, the patient reported that his cardiologist had deleted aspirin from his antithrombotic regimen. Conclusion A patient who had recently undergone PCI and DES placement and was receiving aspirin, clopidogrel, and dabigatran for atrial fibrillation was successfully treated for acute GI bleeding with idarucizumab without the use of a hemostatic agent.