Perioperative Guidelines on Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Agents: 2022 Update

Purpose of Review

Multiple guidelines and recommendations have been written to address the perioperative management of antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs. In this review, we evaluated the recent guidelines in non-cardiac, cardiac, and regional anesthesia. Furthermore, we focused on unresolved problems and novel approaches for optimized perioperative management.

Recent Findings

Vitamin K antagonists should be stopped 3 to 5 days before surgery. Preoperative laboratory testing is recommended. Bridging therapy does not decrease the perioperative thromboembolic risk and might increase perioperative bleeding risk. In patients on direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOAC), a discontinuation interval of 24 and 48 h in those scheduled for surgery with low and high bleeding risk, respectively, has been shown to be saved. Several guidelines for regional anesthesia recommend a conservative interruption interval of 72 h for DOACs before neuraxial anesthesia. Finally, aspirin is commonly continued in the perioperative period, whereas potent P2Y12 receptor inhibitors should be stopped, drug-specifically, 3 to 7 days before surgery.

Summary

Many guidelines have been published from various societies. Their applicability is limited in emergent or urgent surgery, where novel approaches might be helpful. However, their evidence is commonly based on small series, case reports, or expert opinions.

The impact of dual antiplatelet therapy administration on the risk of bleeding complications during coronary artery bypass surgery

Introduction

Dual antiplatelet therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and recurrence of adverse ischemic events in patients affected by acute coronary syndromes, but in patients urgently needing coronary artery surgery it can increase the risk of severe perioperative bleeding complications.

Aim

We evaluated the impact of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) based on acetylsalicylic acid plus clopidogrel or ticagrelor in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Material and methods

Three hundred and thirty-three patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with DAPT discontinuation > 72 hours or 3–4 days (group A, n = 159), 48–72 hours or 2–3 days (group B, n = 126), < 24 hours or 0–1 day (group C, n = 24) prior to CABG.

Results

Operative mortality was 1.87% (group A), 0.79% (group B), absent (group C). The incidence of mediastinal re-exploration was 1.25% or 2 patients (group A), 1.59% or 2 patients (group B), 8.33% or 4 patients (group C) (p = 0.01). Group C showed postoperatively a greater incidence of a blood loss greater than 500 ml at 6 hours and a blood loss from chest tube drainages significantly higher at 6 and 24 hours (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that ongoing ticagrelor intake in group C (HR = 42.4; p = 0.02) and group C (HR = 6.9; p = 0.04) were the only independent predictors of surgical re-exploration. In group C, surgical re-exploration was 2.56% or 1/39 patients taking clopidogrel, 33.3% or 3/9 patients taking ticagrelor (p = 0.002).

Conclusions

Dual antiplatelet therapy ongoing until 1 day or 24 hours before CABG showed a significantly increased risk of bleeding complications in comparison with its discontinuation at 2–3 and > 3–4 days before, respectively. Major blood loss and surgical re-exploration were not associated with increased risk of operative all-cause or bleeding-related mortality. As expected, taking ticagrelor compared with clopidogrel in the short interval confers a higher risk of bleeding complications.

[Coronary artery bypass grafting in myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris: in-hospital outcomes. Part 2]

AIM

To assess in-hospital outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with acute coronary syndrome, depending on the presence or absence of myocardial infarction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Over the period from 2017 to 2018 within the framework of a single-centre register, the study enrolled a total of 166 consecutive patients admitted with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting. Depending on the outcome of acute coronary syndrome, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Group One included 98 (59%) patients with unstable angina pectoris and Group Two comprised 68 (41%) patients with myocardial infarction, who underwent surgery at an average of 16 (11; 20) days after manifestation of the clinical signs of myocardial infarction. The endpoints of the study were major adverse cardiovascular events during the in-hospital period: death, myocardial infarction, acute cerebral circulation impairment/transitory ischaemic attack, repeat revascularization, septic complications, multiple organ failure syndrome, wound infectious complications, requirement for repeated surgical debridement, remediastinotomy due to haemorrhage, the frequency of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and renal replacement therapy.

RESULTS

The mortality rate in the compared groups was similar: 3% (n=3) and 3% (n=2), respectively. Perioperative myocardial infarction occurred in 1 (1%) patient of the first group, with no cases of this complication observed in the second group. The frequency of reoperations due to haemorrhage in the early postoperative period in the group of unstable angina pectoris amounted to 3% (n=3) and was associated with administration of dual antithrombotic therapy, with no cases of this complication in the group of myocardial infarction. Wound complication in the second group were observed in 7.6% (n=5) and in the first group in 4% (n=4) (p=0.33). The differences turned out to be statistically insignificant for such postoperative complications as multiple organ failure syndrome, requirement for repeated surgical debridement, renal replacement therapy, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The residual SYNTAX Score in the group of myocardial infarction amounted to 2.3±2.8, whereas in the group of unstable angina pectoris to 2.3±3, thus suggesting complete revascularization in the total sample of patients with acute coronary syndrome. The average length of hospital stay (including the postoperative period) in the first group amounted to 26.3±6.6 days and in the second group to 27.4±7.2 days (p=0.53). The postoperative bed-day in the group with unstable angina pectoris was 12.6±3.2 and in the myocardial infarction group - 14.9±5.3 (p=0.06).

CONCLUSION

The obtained in-hospital outcomes suggest that coronary artery bypass grafting may be an efficient and safe method of complete revascularization for patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome, including that resulting in myocardial infarction, performed averagely on day 16 (11; 20) after the onset of clinical manifestations of myocardial infarction.

[Coronary artery bypass grafting in myocardial infarction and unstable angina pectoris: analysis of perioperative factors. Part 1]

AIM

The purpose of this study was to assess the perioperative clinical, demographic and anatomo-angiographic factors in patients presenting with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and being candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting, depending on the presence or absence of myocardial infarction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Over the period from 2017 to 2018 within the framework of a single-centre register, the study enrolled a total of 166 consecutive patients admitted with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and recommended by the cardiosurgical team to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting. Depending on the outcome of acute coronary syndrome, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Group One included 98 (59%) patients with unstable angina pectoris and Group Two comprised 68 (41%) patients with myocardial infarction. A lethal outcome occurred in 2 (3%) Group Two patients prior to revascularization, hence they were not included into the analysis comparing the results of surgery in both groups, however these data were taken into consideration, being analysed separately.

RESULTS

The group of patients with myocardial infarction appeared to include significantly more female patients (20 (30.3%) versus 15 (15.3%) in the group of patients with unstable angina pectoris, p=0.02). However, by such parameters as the average age, left ventricular ejection fraction, and the frequency of diabetes mellitus the compared groups did not differ. The group with myocardial infarction was characterised by a severe clinico-angiographic status: more frequently encountered was stage II obesity (3%, n=3 in the first group and 10.6% n=7 in the second group, p=0.04). On the whole, the majority of patients were at intermediate and high risk (44.7% in the group with unstable angina pectoris versus 81.8% in the group of myocardial infarction, p<0.05). Group Two patients significantly more often presented with three-vessel lesions of the coronary bed (40 (40.8%) and 39 (59%), p=0.02). The level of low-density lipoproteins appeared to be significantly higher in patients with myocardial infarction (3.3±1 mmol/l and 2.9±0.9, p=0.04). In the same group more often encountered were peripheral artery lesions (28 (21%) and 12 (11.3%), p=0.04). In its turn, in the group of unstable angina pectoris, there were significantly more patients having received dual antithrombotic therapy prior to surgery (44 (44.9%) and 17 (25%), p=0.01). Approximately half of the patients in the first group (53%, n=52) had a history of myocardial infarction (p=0.001).

CONCLUSION

The obtained findings suggested that amongst the patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome resulting in myocardial infarction prevailing were those of female gender, with obesity, as a consequence, hyperholesterolaemia and triple-vessel disease. At the same time, postinfarction cardiosclerosis, renal dysfunction, and haemodynamically significant lesions of lower-extremity arteries were encountered in the group of unstable angina pectoris.

Point-of-Care Platelet Function Monitoring: Implications for Patients With Platelet Inhibitors in Cardiac Surgery

Although most physicians are comfortable managing the limited anticoagulant effect of aspirin, the recent administration of potent P2Y₁₂ receptor inhibitors in patients undergoing cardiac surgery remains a dilemma. Guidelines recommend discontinuation of potent P2Y₁₂ inhibitors 5- to- 7 days before surgery to reduce the risk of postoperative hemorrhage. Such a strategy might not be feasible before urgent surgery, due to ongoing myocardial ischemia or in patients at high risk for thromboembolic events. Recently, different point-of-care devices to assess functional platelet quality have become available for clinical use. The aim of this narrative review was to evaluate the implications and potential benefits of platelet function monitoring in guiding perioperative management and therapeutic options in patients treated with antiplatelets, including aspirin or P2Y₁₂ receptor inhibitors, undergoing cardiac surgery. No objective superiority of one point-of-care device over another was found in a large meta-analysis. Their accuracy and reliability are generally limited in the perioperative period. In particular, preoperative platelet function testing has been used to assess platelet contribution to bleeding after cardiac surgery. However, predictive values for postoperative hemorrhage and transfusion requirements are low, and there is a significant variability between and within these tests. Further, platelet function monitoring has been used to optimize the preoperative waiting period after cessation of dual antiplatelet therapy before urgent cardiac surgery. Furthermore, studies assessing their value in therapeutic decisions in bleeding patients after cardiac surgery are scarce. A general and liberal use of perioperative platelet function testing is not yet recommended.