Confronting the chronically anticoagulated, acute care surgery patient as we evolve into the post-warfarin era

There are a growing number of new anticoagulants used as an alternative to warfarin. Surgeons will be confronted with an increasing number of patients who may be on these outpatient medications and must be familiar with their management strategies. The purpose of this review is to examine the mechanisms, monitoring and therapeutic reversal of the non-warfarin antithrombotic agents now so frequently confronting the acute care surgeon.