When high-risk procedures are planned, clinicians may elect to discontinue aspirin and/or NSAIDs for five to seven days before the procedure, depending on the underlying indication for antiplatelet therapy. For patients on temporary anticoagulation therapy (e.g., warfarin for deep venous thrombosis), it is suggested that elective endoscopic procedures be deferred until antithrombotic therapy is completed, according to the release.
The guideline, “Management of antithrombotic agents for endoscopic procedures,” was developed by ASGE’s Standards of Practice Committee and appears in the December issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the ASGE.
“Before performing endoscopic procedures on patients taking antithrombotic medications, one should consider the risks of stopping these medications versus the risk of a complication if the medications are continued. But one must also consider the urgency of the procedure,” Jason A. Dominitz, MD, MHS, FASGE, chair of ASGE’s Standards of Practice Committee, said in the release. “Alternative diagnostic studies for patient evaluation, such as video capsule endoscopy or radiologic studies, may be appropriate in some cases.”
Complete guidance for antithrombotic management is outlined in the release.
Read the release about the ASGE’s new recommendations for antithrombotic management in endoscopy (pdf).
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