Basically, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is caused by the partial or total occlusion of coronary arteries because of platelet activation and aggregation. Hence, one of the major components of ACS treatment is the inhibition of platelet activation and aggregation. New studies performed in recent years have led to the update of guidelines for the usage of antiplatelet agents (APA) in the treatment of ACSs. This paper aims to compare the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and American Heart Association (ACCF/AHA) guidelines, by summarizing the key points, regarding the usage of oral APA in patients admitted to emergency departments due to ACS.
Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome, recommendations, aspirin, prasugrel, ticagrelor, clopidogrel