[Treatment safety of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation].

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have now become established for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. The efficacy is at least as good if not better than that of vitamin K antagonists (VKA). The risk for major bleeding is less for NOAC than for VKA, with a particular superiority concerning the avoidance of intracerebral hemorrhage. The outcome after major bleeding is more favorable in patients receiving NOAC compared to those treated with VKA. Specific reversal agents for NOAC are currently being tested which neutralize the effects of NOAC within minutes and the clinical introduction of the first one for the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran is imminent. Such specific antidotes will further improve the safety profile of NAOC.