Abstract
Recently, a sizable number of patients are taking antiplatelet drugs and/or anticoagulants. Some patients may meet serious life-threatening complication if they are forced to stop taking antiplatelet drugs and/or anticoagulants. For the appropriate practice of endoscopy, the endoscopist must consider the condition of the patient, and whether to continue minimum antiplatelet drugs and/or anticoagulants, while paying enough attention to avoid complications associated with an endoscopic procedure. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of complications associated with endoscopic biopsy procedures in patients taking low-dose aspirin and/or other antiplatelet drugs. In the esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) group we performed 375 biopsies in 140 patients, and in the colonoscopy (CS) group 75 biopsies were conducted for 37 patients. Most of them were taking aspirin only, but a small number of patients were taking several antiplatelet drugs. No serious complications, such as massive hemorrhage or hematemesis, were reported and there was no patient who needed a blood transfusion. According to the findings of this study, we conclude that endoscopic biopsies in patients on minimum antiplatelet therapy, including low-dose aspirin, is safe.
