Timing of Restarting Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Therapies After Traumatic Subdural Hematoma-A Single Institution Experience

Safety of Postembolization Antithrombotic Therapy After Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for the management of chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) has been suggested as a preferred treatment in patients where reinitiating antithrombotic (AT) therapy is necessary. In this study, we evaluate whether reinitiating AT therapy before cSDH resolution after MMAE affects radiographic and clinical resolution.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent MMAE at our institution between 2018 and 2024. Clinical and radiographic findings were analyzed with standard statistical approaches. Kaplan-Meier curves for nonresolution compared AT and no-AT groups and compared AT resumption before and after 30 days after surgery.

RESULTS

In 111 MMAE procedures, the median age was 73 years, 27.9% were female, and 80.6% were White. The median follow-up was 5.1 months. Forty-six patients (41.4%) demonstrated complete resolution of their cSDH. Eleven patients (9.9%) had reoperation after MMAE. The median cSDH depth was 14.0 mm, and the median midline shift was 3.0 mm. Thirty-two patients (28.8%) resumed AT before resolution. The median time to resumption was 35.5 days. Patients in the AT group were less likely to have radiographic resolution (21.9% vs 49.4%, odds ratios = 0.2872, 95% CI = 0.1113-0.7404, P = .0103) but comparable rates of reoperation and residual symptomatic presentations. Resumption of AT therapy before or after 30 days from surgery had no effects on outcome measures on univariate analysis. Major outcomes were similar between patients receiving antiplatelet-only or anticoagulant-only medications.

CONCLUSION

Reinitiating AT therapy before cSDH resolution was associated with decreased rates of resolution, but comparable rates of reoperation and residual symptoms. Our results support the cautious reinitiation of AT therapy in patients requiring it after MMAE.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Patients under Anticoagulant Therapy: Review of Management in Emergency Department

The best management of patients who suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) while on oral anticoagulants is one of the most disputed problems of emergency services. Indeed, guidelines, clinical decision rules, and observational studies addressing this topic are scarce and conflicting. Moreover, relevant issues such as the specific treatment (and even definition) of mild TBI, rate of delayed intracranial injury, indications for neurosurgery, and anticoagulant modulation are largely empiric. We reviewed the most recent evidence on these topics and explored other clinically relevant aspects, such as the promising role of dosing brain biomarkers, the strategies to assess the extent of anticoagulation, and the indications of reversals and tranexamic acid administration, in cases of mild TBI or as a bridge to neurosurgery. The appropriate timing of anticoagulant resumption was also discussed. Finally, we obtained an insight into the economic burden of TBI in patients on oral anticoagulants, and future directions on the management of this subpopulation of TBI patients were proposed. In this article, at the end of each section, a "take home message" is stated.

Between a rock and a hard place: resumption of oral anticoagulant therapy after intracranial hemorrhage

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is the most feared and lethal complication of oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy. Resumption of OAC after ICH has long posed a challenge for clinicians, complicated by the expanding range of anticoagulant agents available in modern clinical practice, including direct OACs and, more recently, factor XI and XII inhibitors. A review of the current literature found support for resuming OAC in the majority of patients after ICH based on pooled retrospective data showing that resumption is associated with a lower risk of mortality and thromboembolism without a significantly increased risk of recurrent hemorrhage. The optimal time to resume OAC is less clear; however, the available evidence suggests that the composite risk of both recurrent hemorrhage and thromboembolism is likely minimized, somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks, after ICH in most patients. Specific considerations to guide the optimal resumption time in the individual patient include ICH location, mechanism, and anticoagulant class. Patients with mechanical heart valves and intracerebral malignancy represent high-risk groups who require more nuanced decision making. Here, we appraise the literature with the aim of providing a practical guide for clinicians while also discussing priorities for future investigation.

Impact of Antithrombotic Medications and Reversal Strategies on the Surgical Management and Outcomes of Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematoma

OBJECTIVE

Careful hematologic management is required in surgical patients with traumatic acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) taking antithrombotic medications. We sought to compare outcomes between patients with aSDH taking antithrombotic medications at admission who received antithrombotic reversal with patients with aSDH not taking antithrombotics.

METHODS

Retrospective review identified patients with traumatic aSDH requiring surgical evacuation. The cohort was divided based on antithrombotic use and whether pharmacologic reversal agents or platelet transfusions were administered. A 3-way comparison of outcomes was performed between patients taking anticoagulants who received pharmacologic reversal, patients taking antiplatelets who received platelet transfusion, and patients not taking antithrombotics. Multivariable regressions, adjusted for injury severity, further investigated associations with outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 138 patients who met inclusion criteria, 13.0% (n = 18) reported taking anticoagulants, 16.7% (n = 23) reported taking antiplatelets, and 3.6% (n = 5) reported taking both. Patients taking antiplatelets who received platelet transfusion had longer intraoperative times (P = 0.040) and higher rates of palliative care consultations (P = 0.046) compared with patients taking anticoagulants who received pharmacologic reversal and patients not taking antithrombotics. Across groups, no significant differences were found in frequency of in-hospital intracranial hemorrhage and venous thromboembolism, length of hospital stay, rate of inpatient mortality, or follow-up health status. In multivariable analysis, intraoperative time remained longest for the antiplatelets with platelet transfusion group. Other outcomes were not associated with patient group.

CONCLUSIONS

Among surgical patients with traumatic aSDH, those taking antiplatelet medications who receive platelet transfusions experience longer intraoperative procedure times and higher rates of palliative care consultation. Comparable outcomes were observed between patients receiving antithrombotic reversal and patients not taking antithrombotics.

Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Agent Resumption Timing following Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major global health concern. Due to the increase in TBI incidence and the aging population, an increasing number of patients with TBI are taking antithrombotic agents for their underlying disease. When TBI occurs in patients with these diseases, there is a conflict between the disease, which requires an antithrombotic effect, and the neurosurgeon, who must minimize intracranial hemorrhage. Nevertheless, there are no clear guidelines for the reversal or resumption of antithrombotic agents when TBI occurs in patients taking antithrombotic agents. In this review article, we intend to classify antithrombotic agents and provide information on them. We also share previous studies on the reversal and resumption of antithrombotic agents in patients with TBI to help neurosurgeons in this dilemma.

High Long-Term Mortality Rate in Elderly Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Subdural Hematoma due to Ground-Level Fall: Neurosurgery's Hip Fracture?

BACKGROUND

Moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major source of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. Little is known about long-term mortality in elderly patients following mild, nonfatal TBI and how the injury mechanism predicts survival. This study aimed to compare long-term mortality in elderly patients with mild TBI and traumatic subdural hematoma (tSDH) due to ground-level fall (GLF) versus those with TBI and tSDH due to another cause (i.e., non-ground-level fall [nGLF]).

METHODS

This retrospective study comprised 288 patients ≥60 years old from a single Level I trauma center with tSDH and Glasgow Coma Scale scores 13-15.

RESULTS

Median follow-up after initial TBI presentation was 2.9 years for the GLF group and 2.4 years for the nGLF group. During follow-up, 98 patients died, and median survival for all elderly patients with mild TBI and tSDH was 4.6 years. The GLF group had a higher mortality rate than the nGLF group, with 93 patients in GLF group dying during follow-up compared with 5 in nGLF group (P < 0.0001). The annual death rate for patients in the GLF group was 12.5% per year. For patients 60-69 years old, 39% in GLF group died compared with 4% in nGLF group during follow-up (P = 0.0002). Likewise, for patients 70-79 years old, 29% in GLF group died compared with 7% in nGLF group (P = 0.021). Finally, 56% of patients >80 years old in GLF group compared with 18% in nGLF group (P = 0.11).

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly patients with mild TBI and tSDH due to GLF have significantly higher long-term mortality than patients with injuries due to nGLF.