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Low molecular weight heparin for thromboprophylaxis and epidural/spinal anaesthesia – is there a risk?
Author(s) -
Bergqvist D.,
Lindblad B.,
Mätzsch T.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1992.tb03529.x
Subject(s) - medicine , low molecular weight heparin , anesthesia , complication , spinal anesthesia , heparin , regional anaesthesia , general anaesthesia , anticoagulant , surgery
This article reviews the problem of bleeding in connection with epidural/spinal anaesthesia, with special emphasis on the use of low molecular weight heparins for thromboprophylaxis. There are methodological difficulties to studying the problem in a scientifically correct way because of the rarity of the complication. However, from the data in the literature there are no indications of an increased risk in using the combination of low molecular weight heparin in prophylactic doses and epidural/spinal anaesthesia. So far, there is only a single case report, of spinal haematoma, although low molecular weight heparins have been used in combination with epidural/spinal anaesthesia in at least 1 patients. In controlled studies, at least 10000 patients have been given the combination without complications.