Abstract
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) exert similar anticoagulant effects to vitamin
K antagonists and are increasingly used worldwide. Nevertheless, an evidence-based
approach to patients receiving DOACs when any unplanned urgent surgery or bleeding
(either spontaneous or traumatic) occurs is still missing. In this review, we investigate
the role of point-of-care coagulation tests when other, more specific tests are not
available. Indeed, thromboelastography and activated clotting time can detect dabigatran-induced
coagulopathy, while their accuracy is limited for apixaban and rivaroxaban, mostly
in cases of low drug plasma concentrations. These tests can also be used to guide
the reversal of DOAC-induced coagulopathy providing a quick, before-and-after picture
in case of therapeutic use of hemostatic compounds.
Keywords
DOACs - thromboelastometry - thromboelastography - dabigatran - FXa inhibitors