Effect of Desmopressin on Platelet Dysfunction During Antiplatelet Therapy: A Systematic Review

An increasing number of patients receive antiplatelet therapy. Patients exposed to surgery while receiving platelet inhibitors hold an increased bleeding risk. Especially in neurosurgery and neurocritical care patients, bleeding and hematoma expansion are feared complications as even minor bleedings may be hazardous. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of desmopressin (1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin, DDAVP) on platelet function during antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, patients who experience spontaneous or traumatic hemorrhage, healthy individuals and in animals.

Studies were identified through a systematic literature search in PubMed and EMBASE on August 19, 2019, with an update on May 2, 2020, and from reference lists of the included studies. Data on clinical and biochemical effect of DDAVP were extracted from included studies for a qualitative data synthesis.

In total, 22 studies were included: 18 human studies and four animal studies. Overall, DDAVP improved bleeding time and increased platelet aggregation in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, patients suffering intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage while receiving antiplatelet therapy as well as in healthy individuals and animals exposed to antiplatelet therapy. Observational data indicate that DDAVP may mitigate hematoma expansion in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage or traumatic brain injury.

The present data hold biochemical evidence that DDAVP improves platelet function during antiplatelet therapy in humans and animals. The need for randomized trials is evident in order to evaluate the potential clinical effect of DDAVP in management of patients with spontaneous or traumatic hemorrhage, or undergoing neurosurgery, while receiving antiplatelet therapy.