Abnormal Bleeding after an Oral Surgical Procedure Leading to Airway Compromise in a Patient Taking a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor and a Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug

Abstract

SELECTIVE serotonin reuptake inhibitors block the uptake of serotonin into thrombocytes. One of the functions of serotonin in thrombocytes is to promote platelet aggregation. When serotonin levels are depleted after several weeks of treatment, the altered platelet function leads to prolonged bleeding time, thereby increasing the risk of abnormal bleeding. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may contribute substantially to the burden of abnormal bleeding after surgical procedures in the general population, due to the large number of users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In patients taking the combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, the risk of abnormal bleeding is thought to be even higher. We report a case of abnormal bleeding after an oral surgical procedure leading to airway compromise in a patient taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.