Surgical thromboprophylaxis in daily urologic surgery: Beyond bridge therapy. / La tromboprofilaxis quirúrgica en el día a día de la cirugía urológica: más allá de la terapia puente.

INTRODUCTION: With the advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery, thromboembolic prophylaxis in urologic procedures has traditionally been based on the experience of other surgical specialties. This paper aims to analyze the current recommendations, through a detailed study of the European clinical guidelines and bibliography, applying the recommendations of thromboprophylaxis to the daily urological practice. OBJECTIVES: To elaborate general recommendations to surgical patients in Urology, avoiding the risk of perioperative thromboembolic events. Optimize medication in chronic patients and accurately classify who are eligible for bridge therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review of the available literature and the European clinical guidelines was carried out. We analyzed the most recent consensus articles by studying the available bibliography, trials and reviews on which the European guidelines for thromboprophylaxis in urology are based. RESULTS: Thromboembolic prophylaxis should be targeted towards surgeries that require abdominal approaches, prolonged bed rest or oncological pathologies. Bridge therapies with low molecular weight heparins should be limited. Patients undergoing treatment for chronic conditions can benefit from bridge therapies in specific cases. CONCLUSIONS: According to the current guidelines, there might be an overuse of heparins in the daily clinical practice. The development of -direct oral- anticoagulants have shown to reduce the time to reintroduction of medication for chronic conditions as well as a more effective bleeding management.

Forum for debate: Safety of allogeneic blood transfusion alternatives in the surgical/critically ill patient.

In recent years, several safety alerts have questioned or restricted the use of some pharmacological alternatives to allogeneic blood transfusion in established indications. In contrast, there seems to be a promotion of other alternatives, based on blood products and/or antifibrinolytic drugs, which lack a solid scientific basis. The Multidisciplinary Autotransfusion Study Group and the Anemia Working Group España convened a multidisciplinary panel of 23 experts belonging to different healthcare areas in a forum for debate to: 1) analyze the different safety alerts referred to certain transfusion alternatives; 2) study the background leading to such alternatives, the evidence supporting them, and their consequences for everyday clinical practice, and 3) issue a weighted statement on the safety of each questioned transfusion alternative, according to its clinical use. The members of the forum maintained telematics contact for the exchange of information and the distribution of tasks, and a joint meeting was held where the conclusions on each of the items examined were presented and discussed. A first version of the document was drafted, and subjected to 4 rounds of review and updating until consensus was reached (unanimously in most cases). We present the final version of the document, approved by all panel members, and hope it will be useful for our colleagues.

[The hemostatic system in the acute coronary syndromes: physiopathological and therapeutic implications]. / El sistema hemostático en los síndromes coronarios agudos: implicaciones fisiopatológicas y terapéuticas.

The interaction between the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque prone to disruption and thrombus formation is the cornerstone of acute coronary syndromes (ACS): unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction with and without ST-segment elevation. Platelet adhesion and aggregation and clotting activation, at the level of injured endothelium lacking thromborresistance properties, and directly implicated in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis. Tissue factor emerges as the initial mechanism leading to thrombin generation and fibrin formation to stabilize the platelet-rich thrombus. The combination of several antithrombotic strategies, including fibrinolytics, antiplatelets (aspirin, clopidogrel, and GpIIb/IIIa antagonists), and anticoagulants (mainly low-molecular-weight heparins) has proven to be of great benefit in the reduction of ischemic events and in the prevention of recurrences after ACS.