Is rivaroxaban associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients with traumatic head injuries? A retrospective cohort study comparing rivaroxaban, no anticoagulation, and phenprocoumon

•Potential association of new anticoagulants with morbidity or intracranial bleeding.•Retrospective cohort study (3 groups: rivaroxaban, no anticoagulant, phenprocoumon).•No significant differences in morbidity or intracranial bleeding (n = 69).•One patient died likely due to head trauma in rivaroxaban group, but no patient died likely due to head trauma in other two groups.•Larger studies are needed to verify these findings. The use of new anticoagulants potentially carries the risk of increased intracranial bleeding, but there is a lack of evidence. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the morbidity and mortality differs in head trauma patients depending on the type of anticoagulation. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2009–2014. Based on sex, age, and Glasgow-Coma Scale (GCS), patients that received rivaroxaban were matched to two control groups, one that received no anticoagulant and another one that received phenprocoumon. The primary outcome was mortality. Among others, secondary outcome variables were the length of stay (LOS) at the hospital and presence of an intracranial injury. Sixty-nine patients (23 patients per group) were analyzed. The characteristics of patients did not differ significantly across groups. There were no significant differences between groups for the primary and secondary outcomes. Two patients died in the rivaroxaban group (one of them likely due to head trauma), while one patient died in the phenprocoumon group (likely not due to head trauma), and no patient died in the no anticoagulatoin group (p = 0.36). The LOS at the hospital was similar (5.0, 4.0, and 5.0 days; p = 0.94). An intracranial injury was observed in a similar number of patients in all groups (n = 11, n = 10, and n = 8; p = 0.75). Although limited in size, this study did not observe significant outcome differences in patients with traumatic head injuries, who received rivaroxaban, no anticoagulant or phenprocoumon. Although not significant, the only death likely due to head trauma in the study occurred in the rivaroxaban group. Larger studies are needed before clinical application of these findings.