he new oral anticoagulants dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and apixaban (Eliquis) have predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles and are alternatives to warfarin. However, many physicians are wary of these drugs, since there is limited evidence on how to manage bleeding in patients taking them, and since no specific antidote is known to reverse their anticoagulant effect.