Residual rivaroxaban exposure after discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Purpose: Patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) frequently undergo interventional procedures requiring temporary discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. Little is known about remaining peri-procedural exposure to rivaroxaban in real-world patients.

Methods: Fifty-six patients with rivaroxaban treatment and scheduled cardiac catheterization were included in this prospective, observational, and single-center study. Rivaroxaban concentrations were determined by LC-MS/MS and a chromogenic anti-Xa assay. Population pharmacokinetic modeling was carried out on LC-MS/MS concentration data using NONMEM software, and results were applied to Monte Carlo simulations to predict appropriate rivaroxaban discontinuation intervals.

Results: Rivaroxaban concentrations ranged from
Conclusions: In the majority of patients, rivaroxaban plasma concentrations dropped below 30 ng/ml after 48 h of treatment discontinuation which is considered hemostatically safe before surgery with high bleeding risk. For accurate determination of low rivaroxaban concentrations, LC-MS/MS is the preferred choice.