Therapeutic interventions and use of point of care DOAC Dipstick test in stroke patients: an interim analysis of a prospective cohort study

Introduction A fast therapeutic decision is important in patients with stroke. A fast and reliable diagnostic point of care (POC) test to determine the anticoagulant effects of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) may assist the medical decision-making process in patients with suspected stroke. In the present study, we evaluated the use of the DOAC Dipstick test strip, which analyzes the presence of direct oral thrombin (DTI) or direct oral factor-Xa inhibitors (DXI). We investigated how the DOAC Dipstick test affected treatment interventions and the speed of diagnosis between diagnostic POC and diagnostic imaging and treatment.