ABSTRACT
The efficacy of oral anticoagulant therapy with warfarin is well established for preventing and treating venous and arterial thromboembolism in varied clinical settings. In this chapter we discuss the guidelines for use of oral anticoagulants (warfarin and derivatives) in various cardiac diseases. Standardized laboratory monitoring and point-of-care testing have dramatically improved the safety and ease of administration of these drugs. Self-management of chronic warfarin therapy is a rapidly evolving topic, and we have highlighted the major points in this field. We also briefly discuss the recent data on use of ximelagatran as an alternative to warfarin in long-term oral anticoagulation.
