“…Dabigatran, like coumadin, generally has a synergistic effect with heparin on the ACT, but Factor Xa inhibitors can have a "blunting" effect, causing the ACT to increase more gradually for any given heparin amount. 15 Using 2 anticoagulants would necessitate understanding how each agent affected the test result so they could be effectively titrated. Clearly, this is an area in need of further research.…”