Bloedplaatjesfunctietesten

• Platelet aggregation inhibitors, also known as antiplatelet therapy (APT), are prescribed for the prevention of secondary cardiovascular events (CVE) after endovascular revascularization procedures.
• Platelet aggregation inhibitors are not equally effective in all patients. The phenomenon of high residual platelet reactivity despite APT is called ‘high on-treatment platelet reactivity’ (HTPR); it bears an increased risk of secondary CVE.
• Platelet function tests (PFT) can be used to diagnose HTPR. There are various tests available; of those, light transmission aggregometry (LTA) is considered the gold standard. Some tests are only suitable for determining the effect of a certain category of APT.
• Research into the usefulness of PFTs to optimise treatment with APT has not yet produced an unambiguous conclusion.
• Currently there is not yet an indication for routine use of PFT in clinical practice. However, for the treatment of certain categories of patients with thromboembolic disease – such as those with renal failure or a history of kidney transplant – PFT can be considered.

Conflict of interest and financial support: Some authors have reported potential conflicts of interest. ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.