Why Does Warfarin Need to Be Bridged?

Bridging anticoagulation aims to reduce patients' risk for developing blood clots, such as stroke, but may also increase patients' risk for developing potentially serious bleeding complications after surgery.

Why do you bridge warfarin with heparin?

Warfarin therapy should be stopped five days before major surgery and restarted 12 to 24 hours postoperatively. Bridging with low-molecular-weight heparin or other agents is based on balancing the risk of thromboembolism with the risk of bleeding.

Does warfarin need to be bridged for AFIB?

The 2014 atrial fibrillation guidelines recommend bridging to warfarin among patients with mechanical valves, but they provide little guidance for all other patients aside from emphasizing the balance between the risk of stroke and bleeding in the decision-making process.