Direct Oral Anticoagulant Treatment and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Risk of Early and Delayed Bleeding and the Severity of Injuries Compared with Vitamin K Antagonists

Background: The risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients taking direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is unclear.

Objectives: To assess the differences in the risk of developing early, delayed, and comprehensive bleeding after MTBI among patients treated with DOACs as compared with those treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs).

Methods: All MTBI patients taking oral anticoagulants in our emergency department between June 2017 and August 2018 were included. All patients on oral anticoagulants underwent immediate cerebral computed tomography (CT) and a second CT scan after 24 h of clinical observation.

Results: There were 451 patients enrolled: 268 were on VKAs and 183 on DOACs. Of the DOAC-treated patients, 7.7% (14/183) presented overall intracranial bleeding, compared with 14.9% (40/268) of VKA-treated patients (p = 0.026). Early bleeding was present in 5.5% (10/183) of DOAC-treated patients and in 11.6% (31/268) of VKA-treated patients (p = 0.030). Multivariable analysis showed that VKA therapy (odds ratio [OR] 2.327), high-energy impact (OR 11.229), amnesia (OR 2.814), loss of consciousness (OR 5.286), Glasgow Coma Scale score < 15 (OR 4.719), and the presence of lesion above the clavicles (OR 2.742) were associated with significantly higher risk of global ICH. A nomogram was constructed to predict ICH using these six variables. Discrimination of the nomogram revealed good predictive abilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.817).

Conclusions: DOAC-treated patients seem to have lower risk of posttraumatic intracranial bleeding compared with VKA-treated patients.