Platelet function and fibrinolytic activity after a single dose of diflunisal (Donobid)

ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation and parameters related to the fibrinolytic system were studied in groups of healthy persons who had ingested 500 mg of diflunisal. A single dose of diflunisal resulted in a depression of platelet function in most cases. However, the effect was limited and only of clinical relevance in patients with a defective platelet function. A frequent finding was an enhanced fibrinolytic activity in plasma and saliva 2 h after ingestion of diflunisal. In approximately one-third of the cases studied, the fibrinolytic activity in saliva rose to levels that induced clot lysis within a few minutes. This could explain the clinical observation that administration of diflunisal prior to dental surgery is followed by dry socket symptoms in one-third of the patients.