Thromboembolic prophylaxis in orthopedic surgery using dabigatran: an oral direct thrombin inhibitor

Abstract

Dabigatran etexilate is a direct thrombin inhibitor that has been in clinical use for the prevention and treatment of venous and arterial thrombosis. Dabigatran allows for oral administration, has a rapid onset of action and has a predictable anticoagulant effect. Studies in healthy volunteers and in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery indicate that dabigatran has a predictable pharmacokinetic profile, allowing for a fixed-dose regimen without the need for coagulation monitoring. Dabigatran is approved in the EU and Canada for prophylaxis of thromboembolism in patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasties. The focus of this article is on the clinical data of using dabigatran as venous thromboprophylaxis in orthopedic surgery patients.

Keywords::

• bleeding
• clinical trial
• DVT
• orthopedic surgery
• PE
• total joint replacement
• venous thromboembolism

Financial & competing interests disclosure

MH Huo is a consultant for Styker, DePuy healthcare and Boehringer Ingelheim. MH Huo is also a speaker for Cadence Pharmaceuticals and Janssen. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.