CP111 Antiplatelet Agents and Anticoagulants: Laboratory Monitoring
2:00–4:00 pm
2.5 CME/SAM/CE CREDITS
Wide varieties of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents exist for clinical use, and the number is increasing rapidly. Some of these agents have a narrow therapeutic window, and others have no agent to reverse the anticoagulant or antiplatelet effect. These compounds present a significant clinical need to determine whether the anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent is being used at the appropriate dose, or if one or more of these agents is still active in the circulation. This presentation will describe the antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants that are currently in use, including aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists, warfarin, heparin, low molecular weight heparin, fondaparinux, argatroban, lepirudin, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban. Faculty will discuss the actions and indications of each drug, followed by a more detailed description of options for monitoring the concentration and/or effect of the compound. Following this session, participants may complete a related online self-assessment module, available through December 31, 2012. More details will be provided in the course.
You will learn to:
- Examine the mechanisms of action of the antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants in current clinical use
- Recognize the clinical circumstances in which antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants require monitoring
- Identify the laboratory methodologies used in the monitoring of antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants
Faculty
Michael Laposata, MD, PhD, FCAP