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Semin Thromb Hemost 2017; 43(04): 423-432
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1599157
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Point-of-Care Coagulation Tests Monitoring of Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Their Reversal Therapy: State of the Art

Giacomo E. Iapichino
1   Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
2   Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
,
Paolo Bianchi
1   Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
,
Marco Ranucci
1   Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
,
Ekaterina Baryshnikova
1   Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
27 March 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) exert similar anticoagulant effects to vitamin K antagonists and are increasingly used worldwide. Nevertheless, an evidence-based approach to patients receiving DOACs when any unplanned urgent surgery or bleeding (either spontaneous or traumatic) occurs is still missing. In this review, we investigate the role of point-of-care coagulation tests when other, more specific tests are not available. Indeed, thromboelastography and activated clotting time can detect dabigatran-induced coagulopathy, while their accuracy is limited for apixaban and rivaroxaban, mostly in cases of low drug plasma concentrations. These tests can also be used to guide the reversal of DOAC-induced coagulopathy providing a quick, before-and-after picture in case of therapeutic use of hemostatic compounds.

Keywords

DOACs - thromboelastometry - thromboelastography - dabigatran - FXa inhibitors
 

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