2011 ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused Update on the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation (Update on Dabigatran)

 This document has been retired and replaced by 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

February 14, 2011—This guideline update states that dabigatran, a new antithrombotic agent that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is an alternative to warfarin to help prevent dangerous blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. The update is a joint publication of the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). This focused update specifically updates the section on emerging antithrombotic agents in the atrial fibrillation treatment guidelines and focuses on the use of dabigatran.