Home Print this page Email this page
Users Online: 18783
Home About us Editorial board Search Ahead of print Current issue Archives Submit article Instructions Subscribe Contacts Login 


 
 Table of Contents  
LETTER TO EDITOR
Year : 2014  |  Volume : 3  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 73-74

Should we stop cilostazol before central neuraxial blockade?


Department of Anesthesiology, Yashoda Superspeciality Hospital, Somajiguda, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Date of Web Publication15-Apr-2014

Correspondence Address:
Abhijit S Nair
Department of Anesthesiology, Yashoda Superspeciality Hospital, Rajbhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500 082, Andhra Pradesh
India
Login to access the Email id

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/2278-344X.130627

Rights and Permissions

How to cite this article:
Nair AS. Should we stop cilostazol before central neuraxial blockade?. Int J Health Allied Sci 2014;3:73-4

How to cite this URL:
Nair AS. Should we stop cilostazol before central neuraxial blockade?. Int J Health Allied Sci [serial online] 2014 [cited 2024 Mar 29];3:73-4. Available from: https://www.ijhas.in/text.asp?2014/3/1/73/130627

Sir,

Cilostazol is a selective phosphodiesterase III inhibitor with reversible antiplatelet action. It causes dilatation of the arteries supplying blood to the legs by inhibiting calcium induced contraction of smooth muscle cells and also inhibits platelet aggregation. This antiplatelet action is more potent than Aspirin. Cilostazol is indicated in patients with intermittent claudication due to peripheral vascular disease. It is also used in patients with coronary artery disease, patients having stented coronaries who develop in-stent stenosis with routine dual antiplatelet medications (Aspirin and Clopidogrel), in patients with graft blockage after coronary artery bypass grafting with the routine antiplatelet medications and at times in patients with cerebrovascular disease. [1],[2],[3]

Molecular formula: C 20 H 27 N 5 O 2 .

Chemically it is: 6-(4-[1-cyclohexyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl]-butoxy)-3, 4-dihydro-carbostyri.




  Chemical Structure of Cilostazol  Top


Risk of bleeding increases with simultaneous use of antiplatelets and oral anticoagulants. [4] Even use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs along with cilostazol can lead to bleeding issues in the perioperative period. Due to reversible antiplatelet action and short half-life (11-13 h) of Cilostazol, risk of surgical bleeding is less and regional anesthesia can be safely administered if Cilostazol is stopped atleast 72 h prior to surgery. [5],[6]

Before stopping an antiplatelet agent before surgery, risks and benefits have to be weighed. General anesthesia can be planned if it is not justified to stop antiplatelets before surgery (presence of coronary stent etc.). Hall and Mazer described about the perioperative problems with ongoing aspirin, clopidogrel and prasugrel therapy. [4] But nothing other than the pharmacology and relevant interactions of Cilostazol was described. Mercado and Petty suggested that unlike aspirin and clopidogrel, cilostazol can be stopped for 2-3 days only due to its reversible anti-platelet action by virtue of its short half-life. [5] Douketis et al. suggested that ongoing cilostazol therapy should be stopped for at least 2-3 days prior to surgery to reduce the risk of bleeding although no specific recommendation was given for performance of a regional anesthesia technique. [6] Kaneda et al. in their study have reported a case of epidural hematoma from T12-L3 level in a 90-year-old male patient who underwent thrombectomy for lower limb ischemia. [7] Patient underwent an emergency evacuation of hematoma and spinal cord decompression thereafter. This was probably the only case report which describes the possible spinal hematoma that occurred due to regional anesthesia due to ongoing cilostazol therapy. Horlocker et al. published the 3 rd ed. of guidelines for Regional anesthesia in patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy in 2010 where no specific mention has been made about bleeding issues related to the use of cilostazol. [8] Similarly, Gogarten et al. who published recommendations of European Society of Anesthesiology for use of regional anesthesia during concomitant use of antithrombotic agents didn't specify anything about cilostazol. [9] However we feel that in the interest of the patient, cilostazol should be stopped at least 72 h prior to surgery to minimize neuraxial hematomas and avoid catastrophic neurodeficits.

 
  References Top

1.Chi YW, Lavie CJ, Milani RV, White CJ. Safety and efficacy of cilostazol in the management of intermittent claudication. Vasc Health Risk Manag 2008;4:1197-203.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.Douglas JS Jr, Holmes DR Jr, Kereiakes DJ, Grines CL, Block E, Ghazzal ZM, et al. Coronary stent restenosis in patients treated with cilostazol. Circulation 2005;112:2826-32.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.Uchiyama S, Demaerschalk BM, Goto S, Shinohara Y, Gotoh F, Stone WM, et al. Stroke prevention by cilostazol in patients with atherothrombosis: Meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2009;18:482-90.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.Hall R, Mazer CD. Antiplatelet drugs: A review of their pharmacology and management in the perioperative period. Anesth Analg 2011;112:292-318.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.Mercado DL, Petty BG. Perioperative medication management. Med Clin North Am 2003;87:41-57.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.Douketis JD, Berger PB, Dunn AS, Jaffer AK, Spyropoulos AC, Becker RC, et al. The perioperative management of antithrombotic therapy: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines (8 th Edition). Chest 2008;133:299S-33S.  Back to cited text no. 6
    
7.Kaneda T, Urimoto G, Suzuki T. Spinal epidural hematoma following epidural catheter removal during antiplatelet therapy with cilostazol. J Anesth 2008;22:290-3.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.Horlocker TT, Wedel DJ, Rowlingson JC, Enneking FK, Kopp SL, Benzon HT, et al. Regional anesthesia in the patient receiving antithrombotic or thrombolytic therapy: American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Evidence-Based Guidelines (Third Edition). Reg Anesth Pain Med 2010;35:64-101.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.Gogarten W, Vandermeulen E, Van Aken H, Kozek S, Llau JV, Samama CM, et al. Regional anaesthesia and antithrombotic agents: Recommendations of the European Society of Anaesthesiology. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2010;27:999-1015.  Back to cited text no. 9
    




 

Top
 
 
  Search
 
Similar in PUBMED
   Search Pubmed for
   Search in Google Scholar for
Access Statistics
Email Alert *
Add to My List *
* Registration required (free)

 
  In this article
Chemical Structu...
References

 Article Access Statistics
    Viewed29128    
    Printed217    
    Emailed0    
    PDF Downloaded715    
    Comments [Add]    

Recommend this journal