title: Assessing nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in the laboratory.
abstract: Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are being used with increasing frequency due to their safety profile, ease of use, and given that therapeutic monitoring is not required. As these agents have only recently been FDA approved, their effect on routine and specialty coagulation assays is not well appreciated. This article discusses NOAC effect on routine coagulation assays and whether these assays can be used to estimate drug concentration as well as which assays are suitable to quantitate drug concentration in plasma. Also reviewed is the use of manufactured drug calibrators to determine reagent responsiveness and the effect of these agents on various special coagulation assays.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gosselin
authors.affiliation: Colorado Coagulation, Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings, Englewood, CO, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Adcock
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000069604:Dabigatran / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000379:methods; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D065427:Factor Xa Inhibitors; D000069604:Dabigatran
keywords: Anticoagulants; NOAC; laboratory practice