Dabigatran etexilate tosylate

In recent years the options of anticoagulant/antithrombotic therapy have extended with new - direct oral anticoagulants, comprising direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran etexilate) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban). These agents represent another progress towards "the ideal antithrombotic drug", and thus towards a safe and effective antithrombotic therapy. The following article provides actual review and recommendations for clinical practice, including laboratory assessment and management of emergency situations. The approval of idarucizumab as a specific antidote for dabigatran has marked an important step in safety of this treatment.Key words: apixaban - dabigatran - DOAC - NOAC - rivaroxaban.

Dabigatran etexilate is licensed for use in prevention of deep venous thromboembolism and in prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). It has also been used in patients for other indications as a substitute for warfarin therapy because it requires no monitoring; one group being patients undergoing radiofrequency (RF), ablation for AF, although there have been no consensus guidelines with regards to dosage and timing of dose. We report the case of a patient with documentary evidence of left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus formation and neurological sequelae post-RF ablation despite being on dabigatran. This case highlights the concern that periprocedural dabigatran may not provide adequate protection from development of LAA thrombus and that a standardised protocol will need to be developed and undergo large multicentre trials before dabigatran can be safely used for patients undergoing RF-ablation.