Background: . In Norway, different attitudes prevail to discontinuation of antiplatelet agents, such as ASA, NSAID, ADP-receptor inhibitors (clopidogrel and ticlopidine) phosphodiestase inhibitors (dipyridamole) and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors (abciximab and eptifibatide), before endoscopic procedures. The Norwegian Association of Gastroenterology have appointed a group, consisting of a medical and a surgical gastroenterologist, a haematologist, a cardiologist and a pharmacologist, to review literature concerning the issue in order to give a recommendation.
Material and methods: Literature retrieved from a non-systematic search of Pubmed was critically reviewed by the study group.
Results: No randomised controlled studies were found to have addressed the problem. Two prospective and three retrospective studies have compared the frequency of bleeding complications for patients using or not using ASA/NSAID during endoscopic papillotomy or polypectomy. The studies showed either no differences in bleeding complications, or only an increase in mild, self-limiting haemorrhage for those using ASA/NSAID.
Interpretation: The group recommends that all gastroenterological procedures may be performed on patients taking ASA/NSAID provided there are no pre-existing bleeding disorders. As no clinical data are available for other antiplatelet agents, the group recommends to stop the treatment for 7 days before the procedure, but this will have to be balanced against the risk of thrombosis associated with the discontinuation.