Ibuprofen hikes surgery bleeding

CLEVELAND, Jul 19, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland are advising discontinuing the use of ibuprofen before gum surgery.

Ibuprofen, a popular over-the-counter medication, is taken to, among other things, relieve arthritic inflammation and to prevent blood clots associated with heart disease.

But the researchers also determined it can result in increased bleeding during oral surgery.

While previous studies have shown increased bleeding during other types of surgeries, Case researchers say their study is one of the first to examine the use of ibuprofen prior to oral surgery and its effects on bleeding during and after periodontal surgery for gum disease.

"Taken prior to periodontal surgery, ibuprofen increases blood loss during surgery in patients up to almost two times that of those who did not take ibuprofen," the researchers said.

In the single-blind, case-controlled study, the amount of blood loss was measured during and following surgery at 30-second intervals. The researchers say the results showed a statistically significant increase in blood loss with ibuprofen intake.

The findings are reported in the July issue of the Journal of Periodontology.