European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Oct 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyStopping antiplatelet medication before coronary artery bypass graft surgery: is there an optimal timing to minimize bleeding?
As the indication for antiplatelet medication expands, patients may be exposed to an increased risk of excessive blood loss when cardiac surgery is required. The optimal timing to stop acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) or ASA combined with clopidogrel (ASA+Clo) before surgery is the subject of controversy. ⋯ There is no clinically relevant effect on blood loss indicating an optimal stop day for ASA alone or in combination with Clo. Last use on Day -2 resulted in the reduction of percentage of patients receiving platelet transfusions, especially in the ASA+Clo group.