title: [Antidepressants and the risk of bleeding].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By blocking the serotonin transporter system antidepressants can, in theory, result in bleedings. However, we do not yet know how great the risk of bleeding is and what the clinical implications are.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess how great the risk of bleeding is and what the clinical implications are.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using keywords 'antidepressants' and 'bleeding' we searched the relevant literature up to March 2011 to find out what the risk of bleeding were for users of antidepressants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  34 studies met our selection criteria. Most studies reported upper gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Antidepressants with high serotonin affinity can slightly increase the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Antidepressants do not increase the risk for hemorrhagic CVA. Very little information is available about other types of bleeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our systematic review of the literature shows that antidepressants are relatively safe as far as bleeding is concerned. Precautions can be taken in the case of high risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Ziekenhuis Sint-Norbertus, Stationsstraat 22C, 2570 Duffel, België. Mehmet.Kuecuekaycan@Emmaus.be
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Küçükaycan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Den Eede
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moreels
authors.forename: B G C
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Sabbe
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020521:Stroke / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors