Odontostomatologic management of patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy: a retrospective multicentric study

A group of 193 patients (119 men aged between 46 and 82 and 74 women aged between 54 and 76) undergoing OAT for more than 5 years were managed with a standardized management protocol and a 2-months follow-up. The aim of the present study was to apply a protocol, which could provide a safe intra- and postoperative management of patients on OAT.Among the 193 patients, only 2 had postoperative complications.We think that the protocol used in the present study can be used for complete safety in the treatment of this type of patients.The typology of coagulation disorders is extremely heterogeneous. Today, we frequently treat patients taking oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT), a prophylaxis against the occurrence of thromboembolic events [1,2].Recent studies on the Italian population indicate an estimated 250.000 patients taking OAT to date. Indications for use of this pharmacological prophylaxis [3,4] are confirmed by cardiac diseases, vasculopathies with thromboembolic etiology, a few enzymatic-receptorial anomalies, as well as qualitative/quantitative alterations of some cellular hematic components [5,6].Today, we deal with patients undergoing dicoumarolics therapy, which interfere with the metabolism of vitamin K and therefore with the synthesis of coagulation factors-- II, VII, IX, and X [7,8]. These patients often take the most frequent OAT, such as:？ acenocoumarol: intermediate action, which begins within 24-48 h and ends within 2-4 days.？ warfarin: long and delayed action from 3 to 7 days.Warfarin has a more permanent and long-lasting effect, because of its longer biological half-life (about 36 h).The aim of the present study was to apply a protocol, which could provide a safe intra- and postoperative management of patients on OAT.In the present multicentric study, we focused on a cohort of 193 patients (119 men aged between 46 and 82 years and 74 women aged between 54 and 76 years) undergoing OAT for more than 5 years.This study is carried out in compliance with th