Table 1 Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: | Reason: |
|---|---|
- Patients undergoing primary multi-vessel CABG with at least two saphenous vein grafts, with or without cardiopulmonary bypass | - The population of clinical interest |
Preoperative Exclusion Criteria: | Reason: |
- Emergency surgery | - Unable to obtain consent |
- Valve surgery | - Requirement of postoperative anticoagulation |
- Redo CABG | - Higher risk of postoperative bleeding and low cardiac output syndrome |
- Left ventricle ejection fraction <25% | - Higher risk of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome and mortality |
- Serum creatinine >130 μmol/L | - Contraindication to use of postoperative angiography |
- Preoperative use of clopidogrel (with the exception of the current admission) | - Contraindication to randomization, confounding of results |
- Preoperative use of warfarin | - Requirement of postoperative anticoagulation |
- Allergy to aspirin or clopidogrel | - Contraindication to use of aspirin or clopidogrel |
- History of cerebrovascular accident | - Concurrent indication for clopidogrel |
- History of severe liver disease | - Contraindication to use of clopidogrel |
- Morbid obesity | - Unable to perform postoperative angiography |
- Residence outside of Ottawa region | - Unable to perform postoperative angiography |
- Current malignancy | - Higher risk of early postoperative mortality |
- Inability to provide informed consent | - Ineligible for research study enrollment |
Postoperative Exclusion Criteria: | Reason: |
- Low cardiac output syndrome with inotropic support for greater than 24 hours | - Unstable patient unlikely to benefit from treatment |
- Recurrent ventricular arrhythmias | - Unstable patient unlikely to benefit from treatment |
- Intubation for more than 24 hours | - Unstable patient unlikely to benefit from treatment |
- Postoperative bleeding or cardiac tamponade requiring surgical exploration | - Contraindication to use of clopidogrel |
- Postoperative gastrointestinal bleeding | - Contraindication to use of clopidogrel |
- Postoperative warfarin requirement | - Contraindication to use of clopidogrel |