A study to assess management of patients on warfarin by general dental practitioners (GDPS) in the west midlands

Current management protocols for anticoagulated patients undergoing dental procedures are influenced by evidence-based guidelines. These guidelines state that the risk of significant bleeding is low in patients who have a stable INR within a therapeutic range, (2-4). The risks of interruption of anticoagulant therapy is greater than the risk of bleeding. This paper discusses the current practice of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the West Midlands when treating patients taking warfarin and compares these findings with standard guidelines. A questionnaire was sent to 638 GDPs in West Midlands in 2010, 492 (77%) were returned. This study was carried out three years after a similar study carried out in South West Wales and after the guidance updated by the BNF and NMWIC. Thirty-three (7%) of the respondents did not treat patients on warfarin. The majority of respondents (86%) considered that a dental extraction in a patient on warfarin is a procedure associated with a high risk of bleeding. Surgical i...