Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism with New Oral Anticoagulants: A Practical Update for Clinicians

Table 1

Limitations of traditional anticoagulants.

Warfarin
Narrow therapeutic window
Unpredictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties
Significant interaction with food and drugs
Slow onset and offset of action
Need for regular anticoagulation monitoring and dose adjustment
High incidence of intracranial bleeding, especially among Asian patients
UFH/LMWH
Parenteral administration only
Risk of thrombocytopenia
Need for laboratory monitoring (platelet count)

UFH: unfractionated heparin, LMWH: low molecular weight heparin.