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CASE REPORT
Rare cause of isolated severe coagulation failure in cirrhosis: traditional healing with fenugreek
  1. Cyriac A Philips1,
  2. Philip Augustine2
  1. 1The Liver Unit, Cochin Gastroenterology Group, Ernakulam Medical Centre, Kochi, Kerala, India
  2. 2Department of Gastroenterology, Cochin Gastroenterology Group, Ernakulam Medical Centre, Kochi, Kerala, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Cyriac A Philips, abbyphilips{at}gmail.com

Summary

Patients with cirrhosis develop decompensation events during the natural history of the disease that encompass ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and jaundice. Coagulation failure, defined using the international normalised ratio, even though not a decompensation event, is important in patients with stratifying cirrhosis into those who require liver transplantation for long-term survival. Isolated coagulation failure in cirrhosis is rare and usually occurs with use of anticoagulants in the setting of vascular diseases. We reported the case of a patient with compensated cirrhosis in whom, isolated severe coagulation failure was found to be due to excessive use of fenugreek milk porridge as part of traditional healing. The coagulation failure was promptly reversed with avoidance of fenugreek and supplementation with vitamin K.

  • gastrointestinal system
  • haematology (drugs And medicines)
  • drugs: gastrointestinal system
  • cirrhosis
  • toxicology

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Footnotes

  • Contributors CAP: study concept and design, acquisition of data. PA: critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. Both authors finalised the manuscript content.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.