Re-starting anticoagulation and antiplatelets after gastrointestinal bleeding: A systematic review

Background: Gastrointestinal bleeds (GIB) are associated with high morbidity and mortality, with upper GIB accounting for 20,000 deaths annually in the United States of America. Accurate risk stratification is essential in determining and differentiating high-risk versus low-risk patients, as low-risk patients have an overall better prognosis. Patients taking antithrombotics to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events have a 4% chance of developing a GIB. This then places physicians in a difficult position as they must perform a risk-and-benefit analysis of whether to reinstate antithrombotics after a major GIB. This systematic review aims to assess the general trends in time for resuming anticoagulation in the setting of upper GI bleed. Methods: A literary search of three different databases was performed by three independent reviewers. The research databases included PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest. Specific keywords were used to narrow the search and articles were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Our initial search generated 11,769 potential articles and 22 articles were ultimately used for this review using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. There is an increase in thrombotic events following a GIB if anticoagulants are not resumed. We also found that the best time to resume therapy was 15-30 days post-GIB. Conclusions: Therefore, the decision to resume anticoagulation therapy should consider the patients' medical history and should fall within 15-30 days post-GIB.