2015 Volume 86 Issue 1 Pages 58-62
Background and Aim : To reduce the risk of thromboembolism with cessation of antithrombotic agents before endoscopic procedures. Guidelines for the management of antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing endoscopic procedure were published in July 2012. We assessed the delayed bleeding rate of endoscopic biopsy without cessation of antithrombotic agents within the guidelines.
Methods : This was a single-center cohort study. A total of 3,696 patients (esophagogastroduodenoscopy, n=2,862, colonoscopy and double-balloon endoscopy, n=834) who underwent biopsy for endoscopic findings requiring pathology assessment between April 2013 and March 2014 were enrolled. We evaluated the rate of bleeding complications within a week after endoscopy in all patients.
Results : Among the 3,696 participants, biopsies were performed for 3,348 (90.6%) , 234 (6.3%) and 82 (2.2%) patients with no antithrombotic agents, with cessation of antithrombotic agents appropriately and without cessation of antithrombotic agents, respectively. No patients who underwent endoscopic biopsy without cessation of antithrombotic agents complained of any bleeding symptoms in the 1-week observation period after biopsy. However, three patients with no antithrombotic agents complained of bleeding symptoms after biopsy.
Conclusion : The guidelines for the management of antithrombotic therapy in patients undergoing endoscopic biopsy are acceptable.
