On the use of prothrombin complex concentrate in patients with coagulopathy requiring tooth extraction

Management of Patients Receiving Anticoagulation Therapy in Dental Practice: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Anticoagulant drugs are a valuable tool for minimizing thrombotic risks in at-risk patients. The purpose of this study is to conduct a literature review highlighting the management of these drugs during daily clinical dental practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We limited our search to English-language papers published between 1 January 1989, and 7 March 2024, in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science that were relevant to our topic. In the search approach, the Boolean keywords "anticoagulant AND dentistry" were used.

RESULTS

Twenty-five clinical trials were included for final review from 623 articles obtained from the databases Web of Science (83), PubMed (382), and Scopus (158), eliminating duplicates and 79 off-topic items, resulting in 419 articles after removing 315 entries and confirming eligibility. Overall, these studies support the use of local hemostatic measures to manage the risk of bleeding in patients on anticoagulant therapy undergoing dental procedures and highlight the importance of greater education and collaboration among healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Research and clinical investigation have improved understanding and management of dental procedures in patients undergoing anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. Hemostatic agents, clinical protocols, risk factors, and continuous education are essential for navigating the complexities of anticoagulant therapy, ensuring optimal outcomes and enhancing patient well-being.

Prothrombin Complex Concentrates for Perioperative Vitamin K Antagonist and Non-vitamin K Anticoagulant Reversal

Vitamin K antagonist therapy is associated with an increased bleeding risk, and clinicians often reverse anticoagulation in patients who require emergency surgical procedures. Current guidelines for rapid anticoagulation reversal for emergency surgery recommend four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate and vitamin K coadministration. The authors reviewed the current evidence on prothrombin complex concentrate treatment for vitamin K antagonist reversal in the perioperative setting, focusing on comparative studies and in the context of intracranial hemorrhage and cardiac surgery. The authors searched Cochrane Library and PubMed between January 2008 and December 2017 and retrieved 423 English-language papers, which they then screened for relevance to the perioperative setting; they identified 36 papers to include in this review. Prothrombin complex concentrate therapy was consistently shown to reduce international normalized ratio rapidly and control bleeding effectively. In comparative studies with plasma, prothrombin complex concentrate use was associated with a greater proportion of patients achieving target international normalized ratios rapidly, with improved hemostasis. No differences in thromboembolic event rates were seen between prothrombin complex concentrate and plasma, with prothrombin complex concentrate also demonstrating a lower risk of fluid overload events. Overall, the studies the authors reviewed support current recommendations favoring prothrombin complex concentrate therapy in patients requiring vitamin K antagonist reversal before emergency surgery.

Haemostatic management for oral surgery in patients supported with left ventricular assist device--a preliminary retrospective study

We investigated haemostatic management, frequency of postoperative bleeding, and prognosis of patients who had left ventricular assist devices, and who were having oral surgical procedures between April 2002 and March 2014, to identify risk factors for bleeding and find out which were the best methods of haemostasis. Medical records were examined retrospectively and we recorded details of the patients, and frequency of bleeding together with factors associated with it. Twenty-nine patients had 39 oral operations, and there were 17 bleeds (44%). The first procedure for each patient was used for statistical calculations. Duration of bleeding tended to be longer for patients with implantable devices (median (interquartile range, IQR) 12.0 (3-18) days) than for those with extracorporeal devices (median (IQR) 3.0 (1-4) days; p=0.079). There was a significantly greater difference in prothrombin time-international normalised ratio (PT-INR) before and after operation in patients who bled, whose median (range) was 0.85 (0.2-1.81), than in those who did not (median (IQR) 0.16 (-0.09-0.31) (p=0.015). There were moderate correlations with postoperative bleeding were seen for the difference between preoperative and postoperative PT-INR (r=0.479, p=0.012) and PT-INR value when bleeding (r=0.407, p=0.035). In conclusion, postoperative bleeding occurred after oral operations in 17/29 patients with left ventricular assist devices by a median (IQR) of 0.85 (0.2-1.81) of the preoperative value.

Dental management of patients receiving anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet treatment

Introduction: Adequate hemostasis is crucial for the success of invasive dental treatment, since bleeding problems can give rise to complications associated with important morbidity-mortality. The dental treatment of patients who tend to an increased risk of bleeding due to the use of anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet drugs raises a challenge in the daily practice of dental professionals. Adequate knowledge of the mechanisms underlying hemostasis, and the optimized management of such patients, are therefore very important issues. Objectives: A study is made of the anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs currently available on the market, with evaluation of the risks and benefits of suspending such drugs prior to invasive dental treatment. In addition, a review is made of the current management protocols used in these patients. Material and Methods: A literature search was made in the PubMed, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases, covering all studies published in the last 5 years in English and Spanish. Studies conducted in humans and with scientific evidence levels 1 and 2 (metaanalyses, systematic reviews, randomized phase 1 and 2 trials, cohort studies and case-control studies) were considered. The keywords used for the search were: tooth extraction, oral surgery, hemostasis, platelet aggregation inhibitors, antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants, warfarin, acenocoumarol. Results and Conclusions: Many management protocols have been developed, though in all cases a full clinical history is required, together with complementary hemostatic tests to minimize any risks derived from dental treatment. Many authors consider that patient medication indicated for the treatment of background disease should not be altered or suspended unless so indicated by the prescribing physician. Local hemostatic measures have been shown to suffice for controlling possible bleeding problems resulting from dental treatment.

Key words:Tooth extraction, oral surgery, hemostasis, platelet aggregation inhibitors, antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants, warfarin, acenocoumarol.

Rapid reversal of warfarin-associated hemorrhage in the emergency department by prothrombin complex concentrates

Life-threatening warfarin-associated hemorrhage is common, with a high mortality. In the United States, the most commonly used therapies--fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K--are slow and unpredictable and can result in volume overload. Outside of the United States, prothrombin complex concentrates are often used instead; these pooled plasma products reverse warfarin anticoagulation in minutes rather than hours. This article reviews the literature relating to warfarin reversal with fresh frozen plasma, prothrombin complex concentrates, and recombinant factor VIIa and provides elements for a management protocol based on this literature.

Tutorial in oral antithrombotic therapy: biology and dental implications

Objectives: Recent developments of new direct oral anticoagulants that target specific clotting factors necessitate understanding of coagulation biology. The objective of this tutorial is to offer dental professionals a review of coagulation mechanisms and the pharmacodynamics of the conventional and new oral anticoagulants. Also, we summarized the dental implications of the conventional and new anticoagulants. Method: We searched Medline using search terms “antithrombotic”, “antihemostasis” or “anticoagulation” and combined them with the search results of “dental”, “oral surgery” or “periodontal”. We restricted the results to “human” and “English”. Results: The early coagulation cascade, the new cell-based coagulation model, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of conventional antithrombotics, and new oral anticoagulants were reviewed. The new direct factor Xa inhibitors and the direct thrombin inhibitor (s), called direct oral anticoagulants (DOAs) have rapid onset of action, fast elimination on cessation, and fewer drug-drug or drug-food interactions than warfarin. However, the lack of antidotes raises concerns that some dental procedures may trigger serious hemorrhagic events. Additionally, careful perioperative withdrawal and resumption protocols for the DOAs are reviewed, because DOAs’ blood levels are dependent on renal function. Also, various reversal strategies in the event of excessive bleedings are summarized. Perioperative management of dental patients taking new DOAs and conventional oral anticoagulants are also discussed. However, the perioperative strategies for DOAs are yet to be validated in randomized trials.

Key words:Coagulation cascade, cell-based coagulation model, factor Xa inhibitors, direct thrombin inhibitors, prothrombin complex concentrates.

Using Prothrombin Complex Concentrates to Rapidly Reverse Oral Anticoagulant Effects

Warfarin is a commonly prescribed anticoagulant that may, in selected situations, require rapid reversal of its effects. Several approaches to achieve reversal have been explored, including the administration of prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs), Many factors can influence determination of an appropriate PCC dose and the resulting effects. Considerations on the use of PCC products to expedite the reversal of warfarin are described.