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Updated: May 5, 2026

Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation Under Flow using Microfluidic Flow Cells
Published on: October 27, 2009
Brief communication: duration of platelet dysfunction after a 7-day course of Ibuprofen
Neil A Goldenberg1, Linda Jacobson, Marilyn J Manco-Johnson
1Mountain States Regional Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado 80045-0507, USA. neil.goldenberg@uchsc.edu
Background:
Despite a paucity of evidence, clinicians routinely advise that patients discontinue using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen, at least 1 week before most surgical procedures.
Objective:
To define the duration of ibuprofen-induced platelet dysfunction.
Design:
Prospective cohort study.
Setting:
Denver/Aurora, Colorado.
Participants:
11 healthy adult volunteers.
Measurements:
Individuals were tested at baseline and serially after completion of a 7-day course of ibuprofen (600 mg orally every 8 hours). The platelet function analyzer (PFA-100, Dade Behring, Newark, Delaware), a test that has replaced the bleeding time in many clinical settings, was used.
Results:
All participants exhibited normal platelet function before starting ibuprofen. Platelet dysfunction was apparent after completion of the ibuprofen course in 7 of the 11 participants and normalized by 24 hours after the last ibuprofen dose.
Limitations:
The sample size in this study was small, and no participants had a major illness. Correlation between PFA-100 results and clinical bleeding has not been established.
Conclusions:
Platelet function seems to normalize within 24 hours after cessation of regular ibuprofen use in healthy individuals. Further studies are warranted to provide a rational basis for timing of NSAID withdrawal in a range of patients undergoing surgery.
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