Experience of using idarucizumab, specific antagonist of dabigatran, in Russia

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmias in clinical practice. It has been proven that the presence of AF increases the risk of stroke by five times relative to the population of people without AF. One of the important issues in the management of patients with atrial fibrillation is the management of the risk of thromboembolic complications, namely the optimal selection of anticoagulant therapy. Most oral anticoagulants (dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban) are the most effective and safest drug in patients with nonvalvular AF compared to warfarin. However, even with the use of new oral anticoagulants, there is a proven risk of bleeding, which ranges from minor to life-threatening. Currently, there are approved non-specific strategies for reversing and replenishing clotting factors associated with the use of oral anticoagulants, with certain indications in a patient with severe or life-threatening bleeding, emergency surgery, or before thrombolytic therapy. Over the past few years, specific oral anticoagulants antagonists have been actively studied. Of the specific oral anticoagulants antagonists, only idarucizumab has been approved in Russia (registration of the drug in Russia since September 2018), which makes it safer to use dabigatran in real clinical practice. The article presents clinical cases illustrating the effectiveness of the use of a specific antagonist dabigatran etexilate (idarucizumab) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Clinical examples illustrate the difficulties of managing patients with atrial fibrillation and hemorrhagic complications while taking oral anticoagulants.