Aspirin in reduction of risk of thromboembolism

Aspirin has an irreversible inhibition of platelet cyclo-oxygenase that lasts until the cell is degraded.

A few weeks of antiplatelet therapy prior to surgery reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE) by approximately 50% (1).

The risk of DVT and PE in patients that are chronically immobilised with medical conditions is also reduced by antiplatelet therapy.

• short-term aspirin therapy can lower the risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk patients (2)

Antiplatelet therapy should be continued upon discharge from hospital whilst the patients remains at risk of thromboembolism and in the absence of contraindications to taking aspirin.

Trial evidence revealed that low-dose aspirin treatment has little effect on the prevention of VTE in initially healthy women.

Reference:

• (1) BMJ 1994;308: 235-46.
• (2) Glynn RJ et al. Effect of low-dose aspirin on the occurrence of venous thromboembolism: a randomized trial.Ann Intern Med. 2007 Oct 16;147(8):525-33.