Management of haemorrhagic complications associated with oral anticoagulant treatment.

The frequency of anticoagulant-related bleeding has been reported to range 1-7% per year, depending on the indication for anticoagulant therapy and the classification of bleeding. Although most bleeding is not life threatening, it does cause short-term morbidity and inconvenience to patients, as well as possibly diminishing their quality of life to some degree. Assessing the risk of anticoagulant-related bleeding is integral to optimising the management of anticoagulant therapy. Furthermore, early recognition and treatment of anticoagulant-related bleeding can reduce the associated morbidity. This article reviews the definitions of major and minor bleeding, the assessment of risk and preventive strategies and the management of anticoagulant-related bleeding.