title: Measurement of dabigatran in standardly used clinical assays, whole blood viscoelastic coagulation, and thrombin generation assays.
abstract: Dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is increasingly used clinically as one of the new oral anticoagulants. This review summarizes the assays available to measure its activity and includes the relative sensitivity of the different assays for this agent. In addition to plasma-based clotting tests, assays commonly used in surgical/emergency settings, such as activated clotting time and thromboelastometry/thromboelastography, are reviewed. In addition, the thrombin generation assay is discussed as an important method to determine the potential risk of thrombosis or bleeding and its relevance to the measurement of direct thrombin inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of CardioMetabolic Disease Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Birkendorfer Street 65, Biberach 88397, Germany. Electronic address: joanne.vanryn@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Ryn
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aachen 52074, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grottke
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Clinical Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spronk
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D000069604:Dabigatran; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057285:Precision Medicine; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D015091:beta-Alanine; D000069604:Dabigatran
keywords: Anticoagulation; Dabigatran; Measurement; Thrombin generation; Thromboelastometry