J Rhinol.  2015 Nov;22(2):63-68. 10.18787/jr.2015.22.2.63.

Dietary Supplements and Postoperative Bleeding

• Choi SY
• Ye MK

• KMID: 2223199
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.18787/jr.2015.22.2.63

Abstract

There is a wide variety of dietary supplements on the market that are taken by patients of all walks of life. Unfortunately their use is self-prescribed and patients rarely view them as medication reveal their use to hospital staff. Garlic has been reported to inhibit platelet aggregation and may interact with anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Other alternative supplements have also been associated with potential increased bleeding, including ginkgo biloba, ginger, ginseng, and omega-3 fatty acid. It is essential for surgeons to be apprised of all substances ingested by patients, so they can identify potential adverse effects and drug interactions.

Keyword

Dietary supplements; Postoperative hemorrhage; Herbal medicine

MeSH Terms

Anticoagulants
Dietary Supplements*
Drug Interactions
Garlic
Ginger
Ginkgo biloba
Hemorrhage*
Herbal Medicine
Humans
Panax
Platelet Aggregation
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
Postoperative Hemorrhage
Anticoagulants
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Number of natural products taken per patient (adapted from reference #1).

• 

  Fig. 2. The arachidonic acid cascade.

Reference

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