Oral Anticoagulant Drugs

Abstract

The vitamin K-antagonist drugs were reviewed in the Journal in the early 1970s.^{1 , 2} Since then, there has been considerable progress in research at both a basic and an applied level. The mode of action of coumarins has been clarified; their role in the management of thromboembolic disorders has been more clearly defined; a system has been developed to standardize the measurement of their anticoagulant effect³; and their safety has been improved for a number of indications without compromising efficacy, through the use of a lower degree of anticoagulation than formerly in North America.⁴ Warfarin (a 4-hydroxycoumarin compound) is the . . .