TY - JOUR AU - Ward, Christopher AU - Conner, Greg AU - Donnan, Geoffrey AU - Gallus, Alexander AU - McRae, Simon PY - 2013 DA - 2013/12/31 TI - Practical management of patients on apixaban: a consensus guide JO - Thrombosis Journal SP - 27 VL - 11 IS - 1 AB - Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common tachyarrhythmia in Australia, with a prevalence over 10% in older patients. AF is the leading preventable cause of ischaemic stroke, and strokes due to AF have a higher mortality and morbidity. Stroke prevention is therefore a key management strategy for AF patients, in addition to rate and rhythm control. Anticoagulation with warfarin has been an enduring gold standard for stroke prevention in NVAF patients. In Australia, three novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban are now approved and reimbursed for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF). International European Cardiology guidelines now recommend either a NOAC or warfarin for NVAF patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2, unless contraindicated. Apixaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor with a 12-hour half-life and 25% renal excretion that was found in a large trial of NVAF patients to be superior to warfarin in preventing stroke or systemic embolism. In this trial population, apixaban also resulted in less bleeding and a lower mortality rate than warfarin. SN - 1477-9560 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-9560-11-27 DO - 10.1186/1477-9560-11-27 ID - Ward2013 ER -