Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Dabigatran: a new chapter in anticoagulation
Shameer Ahmed1, Vadim Levin, Robert Malacoff
1Division of Cardiology, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PA 18103, USA.
Abstract:
For the last 60 years warfarin has been the cornerstone for chronic anticoagulation in prevention of ischemic strokes and systemic embolization. Warfarin therapy has several limitations including frequent monitoring and various food and significant drug interactions, which make it a less than ideal chronic oral anticoagulant. The continued search for safe, effective, medications with predictable pharmacokinetic profiles has led to newer alternatives. Dabigatran is a potent reversible, competitive direct thrombin inhibitor which is available as the prodrug, Dabigatran etexilate. It was first approved in Europe and recently in October 2010, the US food and drug administration (FDA) has approved the use of this novel oral anticoagulation for prevention of stroke in those with non valvular atrial fibrillation. This review will cover the chemical structure, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic profile, clinical trials, dosage, clinical implication and adverse effects of dabigatran.
Related Concept Videos
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Venous Thrombosis I: Introduction
Venous Thrombosis IV: Nursing Management
