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Direct oral anticoagulant considerations in solid organ transplantation: A review
Author(s) -
Salerno David M.,
Tsapepas Demetra,
Papachristos Apostolos,
Chang JaeHyung,
Martin Spencer,
Hardy Mark A.,
McKeen Jaclyn
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/ctr.12873
Subject(s) - medicine , dosing , intensive care medicine , warfarin , immunosuppression , drug , clinical trial , transplantation , organ transplantation , population , anticoagulant , pharmacology , surgery , atrial fibrillation , environmental health
For more than 60 years, warfarin was the only oral anticoagulation agent available for use in the United States. In many recent clinical trials, several direct oral anticoagulants ( DOAC s) demonstrated similar efficacy with an equal or superior safety profile, with some other notable benefits. The DOAC s have lower inter‐ and intrapatient variability, much shorter half‐lives, and less known drug‐drug and drug‐food interactions as compared to warfarin. Despite these demonstrated benefits, the use of DOAC s has not gained uniform acceptance because of lack of supportive data in special patient populations, including recipients of solid organ transplants maintained on immunosuppression. This review describes the properties of several novel DOAC s including their pharmacology and mechanisms of action as they relate to use among solid organ transplant recipients. We have particularly focused on (i) dosing in patients with impaired renal and hepatic function; (ii) considerations for drug‐drug interactions with immunosuppressive medications; and (iii) management of the anticoagulated patients at the time of unplanned surgery. The risks and benefits of the use of DOAC s in solid organ transplant recipients should be carefully evaluated prior to the introduction of these agents in this highly distinct patient population.