Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
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J Am Assoc Nurse Pract · Dec 2015
ReviewNonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants in everyday practice: Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and treatment of venous thromboembolism.
In recent years, four nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were approved to prevent stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE). Edoxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, is the latest NOAC to be approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The other NOACs include two direct factor Xa inhibitors, apixaban and rivaroxaban, and one direct thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran. The purpose of this article is to introduce these agents to providers, discuss dosing, and offer insights into practical considerations for each NOAC. ⋯ NOACs may benefit some patients by avoiding the numerous food or drug interactions and frequent laboratory monitoring associated with warfarin. Adherence to proper dosing is critical for NOAC efficacy and safety.