Is it safe to continue antithrombotic agents before prostate biopsy?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Cardiology
• Hematology

Background:

• The management of antithrombotic agents before prostate biopsy remains unclear.
• Bleeding complications after prostate biopsy are a concern for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of continuing antithrombotic agents on bleeding complications following prostate biopsy.
• To compare the frequency and severity of bleeding events in patients taking and not taking antithrombotic agents.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1817 transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsies.
• Patients were divided into control (no antithrombotics) and experimental (antithrombotics) groups.
• Bleeding severity was graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Advanced Events version 4.0.

Main Results:

• The frequency of Grade 2 or higher bleeding events was significantly higher in the experimental group (3.5%) compared to the control group (1.7%), with an odds ratio of 2.18 (P=0.039).
• Grade 3 events occurred in 1.2% of the experimental group versus 0.5% of the control group.
• No significant difference in Grade 1 bleeding events was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Continuation of antithrombotic agents is associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications requiring intervention after prostate biopsy.
• Healthcare providers should carefully consider the use of antithrombotic agents in patients undergoing prostate biopsy.