[Monitoring of tienopyridines or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-receptor antagonists: simple platelet function tests]

Abstract

Platelet function analyses were known as mystified, complicated, and time consuming laboratory investigations with a high coefficient of variation. Only in rare cases they led to precise interpretations under routine clinical laboratory conditions. In the first line they were focussed on bleeding tendencies. Only few were suited to evaluate the state of hyperaggregability of platelets. This short presentation of the GTH-Symposium 2004 gives a survey on the most simple and practicable tests for checking platelet function which may be used for the monitoring of therapy with tienopyridines and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-receptor antagonists.