Thrombosis research
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Thrombosis research · Apr 2013
Anticoagulation management in patients with mechanical heart valves having pacemaker or defibrillator insertion.
In patients with a high risk for stroke and having invasive procedures with a high risk for bleeding it is unclear how anticoagulant therapy should be managed. ⋯ We found a low risk for stroke in the absence of postoperative bridging. For patients with device replacement surgery reversal of the anticoagulant effect at the time of procedure might reduce the risk for pocket hematoma, but this requires prospective evaluation including the risk of thromboembolism.
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Thrombosis research · Apr 2013
High-dose aspirin in dogs increases vascular resistance with limited additional anti-platelet effect when combined with potent P2Y12 inhibition.
With the arrival of the potent P2Y12 antagonists, ticagrelor and prasugrel, the need for co-treatment with aspirin in acute coronary syndromes must be re-examined. This study assessed whether high-dose aspirin: a) provides additional anti-platelet efficacy, assessed in vivo and ex vivo, when combined with P2Y12 inhibition; and/or b) has a negative effect on vascular function. ⋯ In the dog, P2Y12 antagonists inhibit TXA2-mediated platelet-aggregation independently of aspirin. Aspirin provides less additional anti-platelet effects during maximal compared with sub-maximal P2Y12 inhibition but increases vascular resistance.
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Thrombosis research · Apr 2013
A novel approach for detecting hypercoagulability utilizing thromboelastography.
The thromboelastograph is a point-of-care, global hemostasis assay that measures the dynamics of clot formation, including physical properties, over time and is licensed for use in monitoring coagulation during complex surgical procedures. It has more recently been used as a research tool to investigate various bleeding and clotting disorders. Although attempts have been made to use thromboelastography to detect hypercoagulable states, thus far a consistent, reliable approach has not been discovered. The objective of this study was to develop a novel approach utilizing thromboelastography that is sensitive for detecting hypercoagulability. ⋯ We describe a novel approach in which thromboelastography is highly sensitive to detecting increasing concentrations of thrombin in vitro. Further studies are underway to determine if these methods will be sensitive for detecting hypercoagulable states in vivo.