Management of chronically anticoagulated patients
Anticoagulant therapies are widely used for the prevention of thrombotic events, but are associated with a risk of bleeding. The advent of the newer oral anticoagulants (NOACs) that are target specific (i.e., factor IIa or Xa inhibitors) further compounds this risk as there is currently a lack of validated strategies for their reversal. While interruption of anticoagulant therapy may be sufficient for patients scheduled for elective surgery or those presenting with minor bleeding, patients with acute major bleeding or requiring an urgent surgery need rapid anticoagulation reversal. Based mostly on preclinical and volunteer reversal data, guidelines currently recommend the use of hemostatic agents, such as prothrombin complex concentrates for NOAC reversal in patients with life-threatening bleeding. Similarly, antiplatelet agents are key to the management of patients with ischemic cardiovascular disease and/or atherosclerotic vascular disease, but they too pose a risk of bleeding. Some hemostatic therapies, such as rFVIIa, may have potential for the reversal of P2Y12 receptor inhibitors; however, data supporting this approach are limited. Specific antidotes are currently available for dabigatran (idarucizumab), and under development for the other NOACs Ultimately, adequately powered studies are required to fully validate reversal strategies for NOACs and antiplatelet agents.