Vascular pharmacology
-
Vascular pharmacology · Feb 2016
ReviewThe use of platelet reactivity testing in patients on antiplatelet therapy for prediction of bleeding events after cardiac surgery.
Many patients are treated with platelet inhibitors such as aspirin and clopidogrel for prevention of thrombotic cardiovascular events. However, the inhibitory effect of antiplatelet therapy is variable between patients; in some, the platelets are hardly inhibited, while in others, the platelets are excessively inhibited. ⋯ In this review, we discuss the most commonly used platelet inhibitors and platelet function tests. Furthermore, we will provide an overview of the evidence for the prediction of post-operative bleeding at the operation site with preoperative platelet reactivity testing in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.