Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing
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J Interv Card Electrophysiol · Dec 2012
Differences in intraprocedural ACTs with standardized heparin dosing during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients treated with dabigatran vs. patients on uninterrupted warfarin.
Effective intraprocedural anticoagulation for catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation is critical to minimize the risk of cerebral thromboembolism. The effect of dabigatran on anticoagulation with heparin during the procedure is unknown. This study compares heparin anticoagulation in patients treated with dabigatran vs. patients on uninterrupted warfarin. ⋯ A standard intraprocedural heparin protocol results in delayed and lower levels of anticoagulation as measured by the ACT for patients treated with dabigatran compared with those on uninterrupted warfarin.