This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blaicher, A. M. Articles by Hoerauf, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Blaicher, A. M. Articles by Hoerauf, K. Related Collections Postanesthetic Care Unit Pain Pharmacology

---

PAIN MEDICINE

Acetylsalicylic Acid, Diclofenac, and Lornoxicam, but Not Rofecoxib, Affect Platelet CD 62 Expression

Alex M. Blaicher, MD^*, Harald T. Landsteiner, ME, Olga Al-Falaki, CM, Jochen Zwerina, CM, Ivo Volf, PhD, Diego Gruber, MS, Michael Zimpfer, MD, MBA^*,, and Klaus Hoerauf, MD, PhD^*

*Department of Anesthesiology and General Intensive Care, University of Vienna; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Clinical Anesthesiology and Intensive Care; Institute of Medical Physiology, University of Vienna; and Department of Medical Statistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Alex M. Blaicher, MD, PO Box 41, A-1097 Vienna, Austria. Address e-mail to alex.blaicher{at}univie.ac.at

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are routinely administered in the perioperative period. Because of the absence of cyclooxygenase-2 in platelets, cyclooxygenase-2-selective drugs are thought not to cause platelet inhibition. Because platelets play an important role in the coagulation process, the absence of platelet function inhibition may lead to fewer bleeding complications after surgery. We studied the influence of aspirin, diclofenac, lornoxicam, and rofecoxib on arachidonic acid and collagen-induced CD 62 P (P selectin) expression by using flow cytometry. Blood from 68 volunteers was obtained before and 1, 3, and 12 h after the oral ingestion of 1 of the randomly assigned study medications. Aspirin, diclofenac, and lornoxicam had a significant effect on arachidonic acid and collagen-induced CD 62 P expression in platelets, whereas rofecoxib did not show this effect. We conclude that rofecoxib is safe to use perioperatively with respect to inhibition of platelet function.

IMPLICATIONS: We compared the effect of rofecoxib and three nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on platelet function, measured by CD 62 P expression. Platelet function was not altered by rofecoxib, but it was inhibited by aspirin, diclofenac, and lornoxicam. Rofecoxib may be safer than classic NSAIDs with respect to platelet function during the perioperative period.