title: Effects of continuous administration of clopidogrel before off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clopidogrel has become standard treatment after urgent percutaneous coronary revascularization. Due to its enhanced and irreversible platelet inhibition, patients undergoing urgent surgical revascularization have a higher risk of bleeding complications and transfusions. Therefore, the effect of preoperative continuous administration of clopidogrel on the incidence of hemorrhagic complications in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery with acute coronary syndrome was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From March 2004 to September 2006, 172 patients with acute coronary syndrome underwent isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery; 70 (40.7%) and 102 (59.3%) of these patients did or did not take clopidogrel before surgery respectively. Seventy patients in each group were matched using propensity scores and associations between preoperative continuous administration of clopidogrel and postoperative bleeding, hemostatic reoperation, blood products received, the need for multiple transfusions and early graft patency by coronary computed tomography were assessed. Univariate analysis showed the continuous clopidogrel group had similar levels of postoperative bleeding for 24 h (601.4+/-312.6 ml vs 637.2+/-452.4 ml, p=0.616) and rates of reexploration (1.4% vs 1.4%), perioperative blood transfusion (33.3% vs 34.3%, p>0.05) and platelet transfusion (2.9% vs 7.1%, p=0.44) compared with the non-continuous group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative continuous administration of clopidogrel did not increase the risk of hemorrhagic complications in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing isolated off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. These findings indicate that surgery after clopidogrel treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome should not be delayed until platelet function returns to normal because they may have a higher risk of recurrent myocardial ischemic events.
authors: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei Cardiovascular Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Suk-Won
authors: SW
authors: Song
authors: Young-Nam
authors: YN
authors: Youn
authors: Gijong
authors: G
authors: Yi
authors: Sak
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Kyung-Jong
authors: KJ
authors: Yoo
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine