The French Working Group on Perioperative Haemostasis (GIHP) and the French Study Group on Haemostasis and Thrombosis (GFHT) in collaboration with the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (SFAR) drafted up-to-date proposals on the management of antiplatelet therapy for non-elective invasive procedures or bleeding complications. The proposals were discussed and validated by a vote; all proposals could be assigned with a high strength. Emergency management of oral antiplatelet agents (APA) requires knowledge on their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics parameters, evaluation of the degree of the alteration of haemostatic competence and the associated bleeding risk. Platelet function testing may be considered. When APA-induced bleeding risk may worsen the prognosis, measures should be taken to neutralise antiplatelet therapy by considering not only the efficacy of available means (which can be limited for prasugrel and even more for ticagrelor) but also the risks that these means expose the patient to. The measures include platelet transfusion at the appropriate dose and haemostatic agents (tranexamic acid; rFVIIa for ticagrelor). When possible, postponing non-elective invasive procedures at least for a few hours until the elimination of the active compound (which could compromise the effect of transfused platelets) or if possible a few days (reduction of the effect of APA) should be considered.
Keywords: antiplatelet agents; bleeding; invasive procedures; platelet transfusion; rFVIIa; surgery; thrombosis; tranexamic acid.
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