Controversy on the management of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents for scheduled endoscopy

Guidelines on the management of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents for endoscopy were established by Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES) in 2005. However, the permeation of the JGES guideline is reported to possibly be low. One of the important causes of this problem is the confusing situation of gaps between the guidelines of various societies. Additionally, our ongoing investigation has revealed another important cause, which is the current daily clinical practice that cessation periods before endoscopy were determined by non-gastroenterological specialists who might be unfamiliar with the JGES guidelines. Considering the low permeation of the guidelines for non-gastroenterological specialists prescribing these agents, we propose that close coordination between various specialists is mandatory to fill the gap between endoscopists and non-gastroenterological specialists.