title: Bleeding risk and interventional pain management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Interventional pain management is an emerging specialty that uses procedures to diagnose and treat chronic pain. Most of these procedures are performed percutaneously and carry a risk of bleeding. Patients undergoing these treatments may be receiving exogenous anticoagulants. The pain practitioner faces a dilemma in performing an elective procedure on a patient with a bleeding risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A literature review about coagulation physiology and pathophysiology, anticoagulants, and bleeding complications in interventional pain would be useful to a busy pain physician. This review aims to meet this knowledge goal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge about normal and impaired hemostasis, coupled with a bleeding risk tool, enables practitioners to make informed decisions when offering interventional pain care to their patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Guthrie Clinic-Big Flats, Horseheads, New York 14845, USA. rinoo_shah@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Rinoo V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Alan D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kaye
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants