Hemodialysis failure secondary to hydroxocobalamin exposure.

Hydroxocobalamin is a recently approved antidote for the treatment of cyanide poisoning. The case presented involves a young patient administered empiric hydroxocobalamin due to suspected cyanide overdose. Due to the development of acute kidney injury and severe metabolic derangement, emergent hemodialysis was initiated. Unfortunately, hemodialysis was confounded by a recurrent "blood leak" alarm. This unforeseen effect was secondary to interference from hydroxocobalamin. Hydroxocobalamin causes orange/red discoloration of bodily fluids and permeates the dialysate. This leads to defraction of light in the effluent path of the blood leak detector from discolored dialysate, which can result in activation of the blood leak alarm and an inability to continue hemodialysis treatment. This case highlights several new and emerging critical concerns with this medication, including the potential consequence of delayed initiation of emergent renal replacement therapy with empiric administration, the need for increased awareness among clinicians of various disciplines, and the need for multidisciplinary communication.

Management of Dabigatran-Associated Bleeding with Two Doses of Idarucizumab Plus Hemodialysis.

Vitamin K antagonists have been a mainstay of treatment for patients requiring anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, but direct oral anticoagulants, such as dabigatran, have become increasingly prescribed. Compared with warfarin, dabigatran has a significantly lower risk of life-threatening bleeding; however, bleeding events can still occur, supporting the need for effective reversal strategies. Idarucizumab was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran when life-threatening bleeding occurs or an urgent need for an invasive medical procedure exists. Before idarucizumab's approval, reversal strategies included hemodialysis, coagulation factor replacement, and, in the setting of acute ingestion, activated charcoal. We describe the case of a 58-year-old, obese woman with a history of atrial fibrillation who developed acute kidney injury while taking dabigatran 150 mg twice/day, resulting in coagulopathy. Despite receiving idarucizumab 5 g and hemodialysis, there was a rebound increase in prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values, prompting administration of an additional 5-g dose of idarucizumab and continued hemodialysis, with subsequent PT and aPTT values remaining within their appropriate ranges. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to describe the successful use of repeat dosing of idarucizumab with hemodialysis to reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran. Although two doses of idarucizumab were given to our patient, this dosing regimen is not the current standard of practice. Administration of idarucizumab and the use of additional reversal strategies should involve an assessment of each individual patient's severity of bleeding and subsequent risk of thrombosis. Due to the recent availability of idarucizumab and varying success with alternative reversal strategies, additional knowledge is needed for the optimal reversal of anticoagulation from dabigatran.