Heparin-Compromised Patients May Be Safely Treated With Newer Anticoagulants.

HeartWire  (12/16, O'Riordan) reports, "Heparin-compromised patients can be safely treated with the newer anticoagulants, including dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim), apixaban (Eliquis, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer/Johnson & Johnson), suggest the results from a new laboratory analysis." These "new agents did not interact with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibodies, which suggest they are an anticoagulation option for patients unable to take heparin." The research was presented at the American Society of Hematology 2011 Annual Meeting.