Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing
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J Interv Card Electrophysiol · Nov 2015
Observational StudyEffect of pre-procedural interrupted apixaban on heparin anticoagulation during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: a prospective observational study.
Effective intraprocedural anticoagulation is considered essential to minimize the risk of thromboembolism in catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF). The effect of interrupted apixaban on intraprocedural heparin dosing requirements and levels of achieved anticoagulation with heparin has not been well studied. The purpose of the present study was to compare heparin administration and activated clotted times (ACTs) for patients undergoing CA for AF treated with interrupted apixaban before the procedure with patients on uninterrupted warfarin. ⋯ A standard intraprocedural heparin protocol results in delayed and lower levels of anticoagulation as measured by the ACT for interrupted apixaban-treated patients in comparison to those on uninterrupted warfarin during CA of AF.