Dabigatran in clinical practice for atrial fibrillation with special reference to activated partial thromboplastin time.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The distribution of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients under dabigatran therapy remains to be clarified. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study population was 196 NVAF patients who were treated with dabigatran in 2011 (126 with 220 mg/day). The APTT values showed a wide distribution among the patients, especially in those with a reduced dose, who seemed to show a high value even in patients without contraindications. CONCLUSIONS: We found a wide distribution of APTT in NVAF patients under dabigatran treatment. High APTT might help screen for bleeding risks among patients under dabigatran, but requires future investigation.