title: The effects of platelet inhibitors on blood use in cardiac surgery.
abstract: Platelet inhibition via glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists has greatly reduced the need for emergent cardiac surgery. However, this change has come at a cost to both the patient and the cardiac surgical team in terms of increased bleeding risk. Current guidelines for patients requiring coronary artery bypass surgery include: 1) cessation of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor; 2) delay of surgery for up to 12 h if abciximab, tirofiban, or eptafibitide is used; 3) utilization of ultrafiltration via zero balance technique; 4) maintenance of standard heparin dosing despite elevated bleeding times; and 5) transfusion of platelets as needed, rather than prophylactically. These agents present cardiac surgery teams with increased risk during CABG, although overall risk may be diminished by the substantial benefits to patients with acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous interventions, i.e., reduced infarction rates and improved vessel patency. With judicious planning, urgent coronary artery bypass can be safely performed on patients who have been treated with GP IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Center, New York 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Leonard Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: DeBois
authors.forename: Karl H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: Leonard N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McVey
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Nasser K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Altorki
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brodman
authors.forename: O Wayne
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Isom
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex