Citation

Reimer D, Smith M, Ali S. BMJ Case Rep. 2017; 2017: e222170.

Affiliation

Department of Medicine, Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Orlando, Florida, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bcr-2017-222170

PMID

29269364

Abstract

Long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides, also called superwarfarins, are known for their greater potency, longer half-life and delayed onset of symptoms. Cases of superwarfarin poisoning can pose a diagnostic and clinical challenge due to a wide array of presentations and prolonged severe coagulopathy requiring months of high-dose oral vitamin K therapy. The most common presentation of long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning is mucocutaneous bleeding, with other common presentations including haematuria, gingival bleeding, epistaxis and gastrointestinal bleeding. We discuss a case of deliberate self-poisoning with long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides presenting with haematuria and coagulation values above measurable limits. This case is important as it required immediate and maintenance therapy in order to prevent profound bleeding, as well as the evaluation of the patient's psychosocial factors to ensure medical compliance and to prevent refractory complications or repeated self-harm.

© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Language: en

Keywords

haematology (drugs and medicines); medical management; poisoning