Use of the platelet function analyser (PFA-100) to quantify the effect of low dose aspirin in patients with ischaemic heart disease.
Continuing aspirin up until surgery in cardiac surgical patients may increase peri-operative blood loss. It is possible that there is a subset of patients particularly sensitive to aspirin. The platelet function analyser (PFA-100) can demonstrate the antiplatelet effect of aspirin. This study was designed to assess the effect of daily 75 mg aspirin on platelet function, as measured by the PFA-100, in 92 patients with ischaemic heart disease. Patients were classified into three groups according to their PFA-100 results; aspirin hyper-responders (16%), aspirin normal responders (33%) and aspirin non-responders (51%). The PFA-100 has potential as a screening tool to identify patients who are either hyper-responsive or resistant to aspirin. Pre-operative PFA-100 screening to isolate aspirin hyper-responders could enable the vast majority of patients to continue with aspirin therapy pre-operatively, avoiding the risks of stopping treatment.
Coakley
M
M
Specialist Registrar, Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, Hampstead, London NW3 2QG, UK.
Self
R
R
Marchant
W
W
Mackie
I
I
Mallett
S V
SV
Mythen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010979:Platelet Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin