Successful oral anticoagulant therapy in a patient with short bowel syndrome

The case of a 41-year-old male with a history of multiple emboli and short bowel syndrome who was successfully anticoagulated with sodium warfarin is described. The prothrombin times were stabilized in a therapeutic range with warfarin doses of 5.0 mg -7.5 mg daily. The pharmacokinetics of warfarin suggests that absorption is high in the proximal intestine. The successful use of sodium warfarin in the patient substantiates this finding and demonstrates that short bowel does not necessarily preclude the use of warfarin for anticoagulation. It is suggested that patients with short bowel syndrome may be successfully anticoagulated with oral products; however, careful monitoring of each patient's prothrombin time is necessary because of the variability and extent of bowel loss.