Association between preoperative use of antithrombotic medications and intraoperative transfusion in older patients undergoing cancer surgery

Young Mi Jeong, Jee Eun Chung, Kyung Suk Choi, Min Sun Jeon, Jeong Yee, Eunsook Lee, Kwang Il Kim, Byung Koo Lee, Hye Sun Gwak

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1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Management of antiplatelet agents and other chronic anticoagulation medications in patients scheduled for surgery can reduce intraoperative bleeding complications. However, few studies on the association of antithrombotics, relative to their duration of action, with intraoperative transfusion have been conducted. We aimed to determine the association of recent use of antithrombotics, relative to their duration of action, with intraoperative transfusion in elderly people undergoing cancer surgery. Methods: The study subjects were patients aged 65 years or older who were scheduled for cancer surgery and presented for comprehensive geriatric assessment. We reviewed the baseline patient characteristics obtained from electronic medical records and the patients' preoperative medication history, including anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, and streptokinase/streptodornase. Results: A total of 475 cancer patients were included. Multivariate analysis showed that long-acting anticoagulant therapy before surgery was a significant risk factor for intraoperative transfusion. Long-acting anticoagulants increased the risk of transfusion approximately 15.9-fold (95% CI 1.9–136.2). The attributable risk of long-acting anticoagulants to transfusion was approximately 93.7%. Also, low body mass index (BMI) and hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery were significantly associated with intraoperative transfusion. The adjusted odds ratios for low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2) and HPB surgery (reference: lower gastrointestinal surgery) were 5.3 (95% CI 1.8–15.4) and 4.9 (95% CI 1.9–12.5), respectively. Conclusions: It was found that the perioperative use of long-acting anticoagulants was associated with an increased risk of intraoperative transfusion, further highlighting the importance of medication optimization for elderly patients with cancer surgery.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)585-592
Number of pages8
JournalAsian Journal of Surgery
Volume43
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019

Keywords

  • Antithrombotics
  • Comprehensive geriatric assessment
  • Intraoperative transfusion
  • Long-acting anticoagulants
  • Surgical oncology patients

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