Brown-Colored Malignant Pleural Fluid With High Bilirubin Levels: A Case Series.

Brown-colored pleural effusion is rare and may result from high bilirubin levels such as bilothorax (often described as a pleural fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio of > 1.0). We describe four patients with malignant pleural effusion that appeared macroscopically brown with a pleural fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio between 3.

A Comparison of Dabigatran With Warfarin for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation in an Asian Population.

Background: The Asian population with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a higher risk of stroke than the caucasian population and a higher risk of intracranial bleeding when anticoagulated with warfarin. There are few real-world studies comparing the efficacy of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and warfarin among Asian patients to assess its outcomes of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 1000 patients on dabigatran and warfarin from 2009 to 2013.