BACKGROUND: To verify the frequency usage of nonprescription drugs and/or herbal medicines that coud interfere with blood coagulation. Also it is evaluated when this information has not been told to the surgeon. If this information had been known by the surgeon what attitude has been taken by the attending surgeon. METHOD: Four hundred and sixteen patients from the Hospital Universitário de Taubaté (HUT) in Regional Hospital de Taubaté (HRT) and in private plastic surgery clinic were studied on preoperative basis. A thorough search with quantitative and qualitative variables of nonprescription drugs (aspirin and E vitamin) and herbal medicines (Ginkgo biloba, Garlic and Ginger )was undertaken. Data were obtained though a questionnaire related to the use of these medications from one year and 10 days before surgery. It was computed if the surgeon has been informed of its use and what attitude had been taken about withdrawing or nor this medication. RESULTS: Most of the patients (58.89%) have not used any of these drugs, 39% have used them the last year and 13.83% have used them in the last 10 days. Aspirin was the medicine most used and Ginkgo biloba was the preferred among the herbal medicines. The consumption of these drugs has been informed in 73.69% of the patients that had used them. CONCLUSION: In the studied population it is high the percentage of the use of drugs that interferes in the blood coagulation. The most frequent medications are:Aspirin, E vitamin and Ginkgo biloba. Most of the researched patients did not inform the surgeon about its use.It should be emphasized the need of questioning the use of these drugs before surgery, with the objective of reducing possible hemorrhage complications per and postoperatively, becauseof its medical complications and possible legal implications.
Phytotherapy; Plants; medicinal; Blood coagulation; Platelet aggregation inhibitors; Ginkgo biloba
