title: Feasibility and safety of uninterrupted dabigatran therapy in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Uninterrupted oral warfarin strategy has become the standard protocol to prevent complications during catheter ablation (CA) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, little is known about the safety and efficacy of uninterrupted dabigatran therapy in patients undergoing CA for AF. Therefore, this study investigated the safety and efficacy of uninterrupted dabigatran therapy and compared the findings with those for uninterrupted warfarin therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bleeding and thromboembolic events during the periprocedural period were evaluated in 363 consecutive patients who underwent CA for AF at Nagoya University Hospital, and received uninterrupted dabigatran (n=173) or uninterrupted warfarin (n=190) for periprocedural anticoagulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 27 (7%) patients experienced either bleeding or thromboembolic complications. Major bleeding complications occurred in 2 (1%) patients in the dabigatran group (DG) and 2 (1%) patients in the warfarin group (WG). Eight (5%) patients in the DG and 9 (5%) patients in the WG experienced groin hematoma, a type of minor bleeding complication. Meanwhile, no patient in the DG and 1 (1%) in the WG developed cerebral ischemic stroke. Overall, there was no significant difference between the groups for any category. The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) independently predicted periprocedural complications in the DG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uninterrupted dabigatran therapy in CA for AF thus may be a safe and effective anticoagulant therapy, and appears to be closely similar to continuous warfarin; however, it is essential to pay close attention to the APTT values when using dabigatran during CA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Yasuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inden
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimano
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Shiou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohguchi
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000069604:Dabigatran; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014859:Warfarin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D015091:beta-Alanine; D014859:Warfarin; D000069604:Dabigatran