ANTICOAGULATION
Anticoagulation with oral agents is an essential component when treating patients with active thromboses or to prevent thromboembolic complications in patients with atrial fibrillation, mechanical heart valves, venous thromboembolism (VTE), pulmonary embolism, or elevated VTE risk. About 6 million patients are on long-term anticoagulation in the United States. 14 This number is rising due to an aging population, higher age-adjusted incidence of chronic illness, and advances in early detection of elevated thromboembolic risk. Since the 1950s, vitamin K