Anticoagulation treatment

Anticoagulant therapy has been used effectively for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic events for many years. However, anticoagulant therapy is also associated with a significant risk of haemorrhagic complications, warranting careful consideration of the need for anticoagulation. There are now many choices of anticoagulant available, including direct oral anticoagulants (rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban, dabigatran), which provide a stable predictable form of anticoagulant therapy compared with traditional agents – heparin and vitamin K antagonists, these having recognized drawbacks of unpredictable pharmacokinetics and the need for laboratory monitoring.