PLATELET DISORDERS IN UREMIA BEFORE AND AFTER HEMODIALYSIS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOW-DOSE ASPIRIN

Thrombocyte dysfunction and increased bleeding time (BT) are well docu mented in uraemic patients. However, these patients are frequently med icated with low dose aspirin (ASA) in order to maintain shunt patency and prevent cardiovascular events. Recently, life- threatening gastroi ntestinal haemorrhage in an uraemic subject taking low dose aspirin ha s been reported. In this work ASA related bleeding risk in uraemic pat ients and the effect of haemodialysis on their bleeding tendency was s tudied by measuring in vitro bleeding time (BT) using the Thrombostat 4000(R) in 34 uraemic patients on chronic haemodialysis compared to 50 healthy subjects. Our results indicate that low dose aspirin does not influence uraemic thrombopathia 8 to 10h after ingestion but seems to increase bleeding risk shortly after ingestion. Moreover, haemodialys is alters uraemic in vitro BT with regard to the time after ingestion of ASA.