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Abstract
Spontaneous gastric intramural haematoma is an uncommon complication associated with anticoagulant therapy. A patient receiving chronic warfarin for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was admitted due to atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (RVR). An incidental intra-abdominal mass was detected on a CT scan. Following the initiation of the amiodarone infusion, the patient experienced bleeding attributed to warfarin-amiodarone-induced coagulopathy, with no identifiable bleeding source. Subsequent CT scans revealed an enlargement of the intra-abdominal mass, suggesting gastric intramural haematoma. After coagulopathy reversal, the haematoma is managed conservatively. Our case underscores the potential for incidental bleeding even when the international normalised ratio is within the normal range in patients on chronic warfarin therapy. When managing such patients with atrial fibrillation with RVR, physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for bleeding, emphasising the importance of prompt coagulopathy reversal.
- Adult intensive care
- Warfarin therapy
- GI bleeding
- Arrhythmias
- Intensive care
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Footnotes
Contributors The following authors were responsible for drafting of the text, sourcing and editing of clinical images, investigation results, drawing original diagrams and algorithms and critical revision for important intellectual content: CHS, JE and AGF. The following authors gave final approval of the manuscript: CHS, JE and AGF.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.