title: Impact of continued hospitalization in patients pre-treated with clopidogrel prior to coronary angiography and undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: Pre-treatment of patients with clopidogrel prior to coronary angiography (CAG) and possible percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a standard practice. Candidates for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) are discharged or remain in the hospital until CABG after clopidogrel is discontinued. We investigated whether any differences exist in the rates of surgical complications and outcomes between these two groups of patients. We conclude that continued hospitalization of clopidogrel pre-treated patients does not confer any safety benefit with regard to post-operative complications and 30-day mortality. Discharging these patients after CAG may reduce hospitalization costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
authors.forename: Pramod
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuchulakanti
authors.forename: Emmanouil I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Kapetanakis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Seung-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Edouard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cheneau
authors.forename: Lowell F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Satler
authors.forename: William O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Suddath
authors.forename: Augusto D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pichard
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Rajbabu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pakala
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corso
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waksman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine