Thromboembolism prophylaxis with dabigatran leads to lower perioperative blood loss than with dalteparin in primary knee arthroplasty

Introduction

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) are commonly used in thrombosis prophylaxis after total knee arthroplasty. In contrast to LMWH, dabigatran etexilate is an oral and direct acting anticoagulant. The hypothesis of the present study was that blood loss occurring in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is not greater after dabigatran etexilate than after dalteparin.

Method

All patients suffering from primary arthrosis of knee joint that had received a total knee arthroplasty were included in this retrospective case–control study. Two groups were formed (dalteparin versus dabigatran etexilate) and the perioperative blood loss was compared using the formula of Nadler (V = EBV × ln (Hct₀/Hct₁) [V = blood loss (l); EBV = blood volume (l); Hct₀ = preoperative haematocrit; Hct₁ = haematocrit on the first postoperative day].

Patients: A total of 155 patients, 61 men and 94 women, were included. The calculated blood loss differed significantly between the two groups. The blood loss was on average 1.5 ± 0.58 l [0.32–2.9 l] in the dalteparin group, compared with 1.3 ± 0.63 l [0.29–4.31 l] in the dabigatran etexilate group (p < 0.01). None of the patients of both observed groups showed clinical signs of thrombosis or pulmonary artery embolism.

Results

Dabigatran etexilate showed a lower perioperative blood loss than dalteparin by comparable safety of both drugs.

Conclusion

Whether the timing of administration or pharmacological factors were responsible for this cannot be explained by our study.