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Antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin and thienopyridines, decrease cardiovascular events but increase risk for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). Because these drugs act for the entire life of the platelet, it is suggested that platelet transfusion, even in patients with normal dysfunctional platelet levels, may be helpful in severe bleeding.
To investigate the success of this approach in GIB, investigators at a single institution retrospectively compared outcomes between recipients and nonrecipients of platelet transfusion among patients admitted for GIB and taking antiplatelet agents. They identified 204 patients with a platelet count >100×109/L who received platelet transfusions, who were matched by age, sex, and GIB location to 204 patients…