Anticoagulant Management After Emergency Surgery or Major Bleeding in Anticoagulated Patients—Results of the Prospective RADOA Registry

Background: Major bleeding or emergency surgery are the most frequently observed emergency situations in patients anticoagulated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The restart of anticoagulation after these situations is a therapeutic dilemma. Methods: The prospective RADOA registry is an observational, noninterventional multicenter registry that documents the management of severe bleeding or emergency surgery in patients treated with VKAs or DOACs. In this substudy, we analyzed time point, type, and dosage of anticoagulant resumption after emergency situations. Results: Overall, 78 emergency surgery patients and 193 major bleeding patients were analyzed. Median age was similar in the VKA- and DOAC-treated groups (emergency surgery: 77 years, major bleeding: 79 years). Anticoagulants were restarted significantly earlier after emergency surgery compared to major bleeding, with no difference between the VKA and DOAC groups. While patients after cardiothoracic surgery received UFH intravenously, patients with trauma or having received abdominal surgery were mainly treated with prophylactic LMWH s.c.. After major bleeding, the majority of patients were treated with prophylactic LMWH. None of the patients in the emergency surgery group and 17% (4/24) of the major bleeding group with recurrent bleeding (12%, 24/193) experienced recurrent bleeding after restart of anticoagulation. Thromboembolism occurred rarely in both patient groups (emergency surgery: 3%, major bleeding 4%). Conclusions: Time points of restart, type, and dosage of anticoagulants are highly diverse in this high-risk patient population. Resumption of prophylactic anticoagulation is associated with a low risk of thrombosis and should be initiated as soon as possible.