Withholding clopidogrel for 3 to 6 versus 7 days or more before surgery in hip fracture patients.

PURPOSE. To compare morbidity and mortality after hip fracture surgery in patients withholding clopidogrel for 3 to 6 days versus ≥7 days or more. METHODS. Records of 16 men and 31 women aged 49 to 92 (mean, 80.2) years who underwent hip fracture surgery after withholding clopidogrel for 3 to 6 days (n=24) versus ≥7 days or more (n=23) were compared. The patients were taking clopidogrel owing to ischaemic heart disease (n=37), cerebrovascular disease (n=7), and intolerance to aspirin (n=3). Patient demographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, preoperative delay, length of hospital stay, perioperative haemoglobin reduction, receipt of blood and platelet transfusions, morbidity, and mortality were recorded. RESULTS. Respectively in the early-surgery and delayed-surgery groups, the mean surgical delay was 4.2 and 8.0 days, the mean length of hospital stay was 21.1 and 28.7 days, the mean peri-operative haemoglobin reduction was 1.5 and 1.1 g/dl, the mean units of blood transfusion per patient was 0.8 and 0.7. No severe intra-operative bleeding or wound haematoma was encountered in either group. Two patients in each group died within one month, and 2 more in the delayed-surgery group died within 3 months. The main cause of death was cardiovascular. CONCLUSION. Withholding clopidogrel for <7 days before surgery conferred no increased risk in hip fracture patients.