Thigh haematoma following acupuncture treatment in a patient on warfarin

Abstract

A 82-year-old woman on warfarin for atrial-fibrillation was admitted via the acute medical take having developed a large haematoma in the right thigh (picture). She gave a history of recent acupuncture treatment for trochanteric bursitis. Acupuncture treatment had been given in the community and we do not know if the therapist was aware of the fact she was being treated with warfarin, nor do we know if enquiry was made about the state of anticoagulant control at the time of needle insertion. Retrospective examination of the anticoagulant clinic records revealed that her international normalized ration (INR) was 2.4 at the time of needle insertion.