Battle of oral anticoagulants in the field of atrial fibrillation scrutinized from a clinical practice (the real world) perspective

Table 2 Characteristics of new oral anticoagulants compared with warfarin

Agent	Main action	Half-life (h)	Renal clearance (%)	Cross placenta	Dose	Interactions
Rivaroxaban	Anti-factor Xa	6-10	66	+	Once daily	CYP3A4 inhibitors
Apixaban	Anti-factor Xa	10-15	30	+	Twice daily	CYP3A4 inhibitors
Dabigatran	Anti-factor IIa	12-14	80	+	Twice daily	PPIs
Warfarin	Synthesis of vitamin K-dependent factors	36-50		+	Adjusted by INR, once daily	Multiple with food and drugs

PPIs, proton pump inhibitors. Quinidine is contraindicated for patients on dabigatran. Amiodarone or rifampicin require caution.

ISSN: 1477-9560