An Overview of the Anticoagulant Drugs Used in Routine Clinical Practice

Abstract

Anticoagulant drugs directly or indirectly influence coagulation factors preventing fibrin formation thus preventing blot clotting. They are classified into two groups according to the mode of application, namely parenteral and oral drugs. Among the latter, vitamin K antagonists (most often warfarin) were the only available oral drugs and were widely used for almost a century. In the recent years, new oral anticoagulant drugs became available that directly target either factor IIa or Xa. This chapter provides an overview of both parenteral and oral anticoagulant drugs used in clinical practice with description of the mode of action and management of therapy in different clinical settings.