Anticoagulation Therapy and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Cohort Study on Clinical Outcomes Using...

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality and disability, particularly in patients on anticoagulation therapy. While anticoagulants are linked to higher TBI mortality, the specific impact of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) on severe TBI (sTBI) outcomes remains unclear, especially in light of newer reversal agents. Therefore, this study evaluates long-term mortality and complication risks associated with pre-injury use of DOACs and VKAs in sTBI patients from a large, real-world cohort. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX global research network, identifying patients with sTBI between 2016 and 2022. Patients were grouped based on pre-injury anticoagulant use: DOAC, VKA, or none. Propensity score matching was performed, adjusting for age, comorbidities, and baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-injury. Secondary outcomes included hospital and surgical complications up to 30 days post-injury. Results: A total of 40,563 patients met the inclusion criteria. At all time intervals, no significant mortality differences were found between the PSM-matched groups. Conclusions: In patients with sTBI, pre-injury DOAC or VKA use was not associated with increased short- or long-term mortality. These findings suggest that, with current perioperative practices, anticoagulation can be managed without adversely affecting outcomes.