Aspirin resistance in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

ABSTRACT

Aspirin is a very common drug used after coronary artery bypass grafting. Significantly it is known to reduce mortality and the rate of ischemic complications after CABG. Resistance to Aspirin is a well known entity and has a great influence on clinical outcome. Our study will investigate the phenomenon of aspirin resistance in our patients that underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. In a prospective controlled study 100 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] were included to investigate their sensitivity to Aspirin using platelets aggregometry study. Patients were followed up after one year to show their clinical outcome. 25 patients [25%] showed normal reaction to Aspirin [sensitive to treatment]. 24 patients [24%] were preoperatively resistance to Aspirin and 51 patients [51%] developed this resistance postoperatively. The use of cardiopulmonary bypass, pump time and type of procedure showed no influence on the resistance rate. The one year follow up showed 5 deaths in the group of patients that developed the resistance preoperatively whereas resistance disappeared completely after one year in the perioperative resistant group. Aspirin resistance occurs in a large portion of patients that undergo open heart surgery for coronary artery bypass grafting. It doesn't appear to last permanently but rather for a brief period. The worse outcome for patients with Aspirin resistance could be assumpted by the increase mortality in this group