Off-label use of injectable vitamin K in a university hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin K acts in the body promoting the synthesis of coagulation factors and can be administered by different routes. In Brazil, only presentations for parenteral administration are available. Objective: To describe the oral use of the injectable solution of vitamin K in hospitalized patients. Method: Observational, retrospective study performed in a tertiary hospital from January 2014 to July 2016. Results: Of the 54 patients, 31 (57%) used vitamin K to reverse the effect of warfarin, and 23 (43%) patients used it for a different reason. Ten (32%) had INR> 10, thirteen (42%) had INRs between 10 and 4.5, five (16%) had INR between 4.5 and 3. Three (10%) had INR between 2-3 and only one patient had INR less than 2. After the use of Vitamin K, twenty (64%) had subtherapeutic INR. The 23 (43%) patients who used the vitamin other motif, the INR before use ranged from 7.18 to 1.31, and 10 (43%) had INR between 7.18 and 2 and thirteen (57%) had INR of less than 2. Conclusion: Administration of oral vitamin K was well tolerated, but there were differences regarding dose recommendations and indications found in the literature.