Time of Resumption of Antiplatelet Drugs After Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Background: This study aimed to investigate the optimum time to reintroduce the original antiplatelet drugs after upper gas-trointestinal hemorrhage in patients as secondary prevention for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Material/Methods: After the upper gastrointestinal bleeding stopped, patients were randomly divided according to the oral anti -platelet drugs administered. The aspirin group was further divided into 3-day and 7-day aspirin groups. The patients who took aspirin and clopidogrel were randomly divided into 3 groups: 0-day aspirin+3-day clopido-grel; 0-day aspirin+7-day clopidogrel; and 3-day aspirin+7-day clopidogrel. The recovery time, rebleeding rate, incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and death were observed. Results: The 3-day aspirin group had more rebleeding, reduced risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and a similar mortality rate compared to the other groups. In the aspirin+clopidogrel group, the 0-day aspirin+3-day clopidogrel group had the highest rebleeding rate and the lowest risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascu-lar events. The 3-day aspirin+7-day clopidogrel group had the highest risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovas-cular events and increased hospitalization time. The risk of rebleeding and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events was lower in the 0-day aspirin+7-day clopidogrel group, and the overall mortality rate was the lowest in this group. Conclusions: In patients receiving only aspirin, this drug should be reintroduced as soon as possible after peptic ulcer hem-orrhage. Aspirin and clopidogrel are dual antiplatelet drugs used for the secondary prevention of cardiovascu-lar diseases. In patients under dual-drug therapy, aspirin should not be stopped, while clopidogrel should be restarted in about 7 days.