Coagulation testing in patients using anticoagulants

Anticoagulants such as low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), vitamin K antagonists (VKA), and the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) dabigatran and rivaroxaban are frequently used in clinical practice. Clinical laboratories analyse samples for different purposes, without knowledge of the presence of therapeutic anticoagulants, possibly leading to incorrect results. Moreover, as in emergency situations it is often unknown which anticoagulants have been used, the lack of specificity could be an issue in management of the patient. We therefore determined the influence of various anticoagulants on routine as well as dedicated coagulation tests.