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Open Access 01-06-2018 | Editor’s Comment

Anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes: choosing between the Scylla of bleeding and the Charybdis of ischaemic events

Author: R. J. de Winter

Published in: Netherlands Heart Journal | Issue 6/2018

Excerpt

Homer described the mythical sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, situated close together on opposite sides of the Strait of Messina between the mainland of Italy and the island of Sicily. When Odysseus was forced to choose between the risk of crashing on the rocky heads of Scylla or losing the entire ship in the whirlpool of Charybdis, he opted to pass by Scylla and loose only a few sailors [1]. Likewise, as cardiologists caring for our patients, we often choose to accept the Scylla of a few bleeding events, preferring to avoid the Charybdis of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. We fear Charybdis because we have seen it, we take our chances with Scylla because bleeding events often occur outside our field of vision. …

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_Scylla_and_Charybdis. Accessed 25 March 2018.

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Gimbel ME, ten Berg JM, Minderhoud S. A practical guide on how to handle patients with bleeding events while on oral antithrombotic treatment. Neth Heart J. 2018; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-018-1117-1.PubMedCrossRefPubMedCentral

Title: Anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes: choosing between the Scylla of bleeding and the Charybdis of ischaemic events
Author: R. J. de Winter
Publication date: 01-06-2018
Publisher: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum
Published in: Netherlands Heart Journal / Issue 6/2018
Print ISSN: 1568-5888
Electronic ISSN: 1876-6250
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12471-018-1121-5

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