The Use of 3- and 4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate in Patients With Elevated INR

Sanjay Mohan1, Mary Ann Howland1,2,3, Daniel Lugassy1

  • 11 Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Insights

Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and three-factor PCC effectively reduce elevated INR in patients with warfarin-related coagulopathy and non-warfarin-related coagulopathy, particularly when secondary to liver disease.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC), Kcentra®, is FDA-approved for warfarin-related coagulopathy (WRC).
  • Three-factor PCC (Bebulin®) and four-factor PCC are used off-label for non-WRC.
  • Efficacy of 3- and 4-factor PCCs for non-WRC is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the utilization and effectiveness of 3- and 4-factor PCCs in patients diagnosed with non-WRC.
  • To compare outcomes between WRC and non-WRC patients receiving PCCs.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of patients receiving PCCs for WRC and non-WRC from January 2012 to July 2015.
  • Analysis included 187 patients with elevated international normalized ratio (INR).

Main Results:

  • 53.9% of WRC patients and 27.7% of non-WRC patients achieved an INR ≤ 1.3 post-PCC administration.
  • In non-WRC patients with liver disease, 3-factor PCC reduced mean INR by 0.98 and 4-factor PCC by 1.43.

Conclusions:

  • Both three- and four-factor PCCs demonstrate efficacy in reducing INR for patients with WRC.
  • PCCs are effective in lowering INR for non-WRC patients, especially those with underlying liver disease.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care01:29

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care

Venous thrombosis requires effective prevention and treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential complications.Prevention StrategiesHealthcare providers must prioritize preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for all adult patients upon admission. Interventions depend on bleeding and thrombosis risk, medical history, current medications, diagnoses, planned procedures, and patient preferences. Patients on bed rest should change positions every two hours and, if not...
426
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
2.1K
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants01:18

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
2.6K
Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management01:30

Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management

Nursing management begins with a thorough assessment of the patient's health history. Key factors include trauma to veins, peripherally inserted central catheters, varicose veins, recent pregnancy or childbirth, surgery, bacteremia, prolonged bed rest, atrial fibrillation, COPD, heart failure, cancer, coagulation disorders, myocardial infarction, spinal cord injury, stroke, prolonged travel, recent bone fractures, and dehydration. Review medication intake, particularly oral contraceptives,...
324
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis01:20

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis

Blood clotting or coagulation involves extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which ultimately merge into the common pathway, forming a fibrin clot.
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which...
14.2K