Atrial Fibrillation: Focus on Anticoagulant Pharmacotherapy

The use of anticoagulant medication is important for stroke prevention, but it has many risks, including bleeding. Nurse practitioners (NPs) should be knowledgeable and informed of these medications as they manage their patients. Aspirin, warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban are discussed in this review to inform NPs of their profiles and to help NPs appropriately select and prescribe these medications.