Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
Taking Pradaxa, are you playing Russian Roulette with a potentially lethal drug? Is it the case of Head you lose, Tails you lose? Taking your life into your hands should not come down to a flip of the coin.
There is no antidote or treatment to reverse the bleeding side effects of Pradaxa. According to a newly published case study, this lack of treatment is proving deadly to many patients.
The Journal of Neurosurgery has published a report, in which researchers pinpoint the risk associated with hemorrhages from Pradaxa.
Pradaxa, the new blood thinner does not have a “reversing agent” that allows doctors to stop the bleeding.
The University of Utah’s Department of Neurosurgery report the case study of an 83 year-old man who died from a brain hemorrhage caused by Pradaxa. The man was given the blood thinner following a minor head injury sustained in a fall at his home.
Just six hours after Pradaxa was administered, a CT scan showed extensive brain hemorrhaging. The doctors determined there was nothing they could do to save his life due to the lack of a reversal agent for Pradaxa and he died shortly afterward.
Pradaxa (dabigatran) is a blood thinner, which was introduced by Boehringer Ingelheim in October 2010 as a superior alternative to Coumadin (warfarin) for prevention of strokes among individuals with atrial fibrillation.
Among users of the older, more widely-used blood thinner Coumadin, known generically as warfarin, bleeding events can be addressed by giving the patient a dose of Vitamin K.
“There is currently no effective antidote to reverse the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran in the event of an emergency,” the researchers wrote. “Dabigatran is only the first of several direct thrombin inhibitors that may enter clinical use and these agents will likely have similar risks for catastrophic progression of traumatic injuries.”
According to a report released by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in January 2012, more instances of Pradaxa hemorrhages were reported to the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System during the first quarter of 2011 than were reported in association with any other drug monitored by the group. At least 505 instances involving Pradaxa bleeding events were reported, compared to 176 cases reported with warfarin/Coumadin, which was second on the list.
A number of individuals throughout the United States are now considering a Pradaxa lawsuit against the drug maker for failing to adequately research the medication or warning about the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening health risks of Pradaxa.