Information AboutAnticoagulant |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ANTICOAGULANT | |
| anticoagulants | |
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AS MEDICATIONS Anticoagulants are given to people to stop thrombosis (blood clotting inappropriately in the blood vessels). This is useful in primary and secondary prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis , Pulmonary Embolism , Myocardial Infarction s and Stroke s in those who are predisposed. Vitamin K antagonists The oral anticoagulants are a class of Pharmaceuticals that act by antagonizing the effects of Vitamin K . It is important to note that they take at least 48 to 72 hours for the anticoagulant effect to develop fully. In cases when an immediate effect is required, Heparin must be given concomitantly. Generally, these anticoagulants are used to treat patients with Deep-vein Thrombosis (DVT), Pulmonary Embolism , Atrial Fibrillation , and mechanical Prosthetic Heart Valve s. The most important oral anticoagulants are:
Heparin and derivative substances Heparin is a biological substance, usually made from Pig intestines. It works by activating Antithrombin III , which blocks thrombin from clotting blood. Heparin can be used '' In Vivo '' (by injection), and also '' In Vitro '' to prevent blood or plasma clotting in medical devices. Vacutainer s and test tubes containing heparin are usually colored green. Low Molecular Weight Heparin is a more highly processed product that is useful as it does not require monitoring of the APTT Coagulation parameter (it has more predictable plasma levels) and has less side effects. Fondaparinux is a synthetic sugar composed of the five sugars (pentasaccharide) in heparin that bind to antithrombin. It is a smaller molecule than low molecular weight heparin. Direct thrombin inhibitors Another type of anticoagulant is the Direct Thrombin Inhibitor s. Current members of this class include Argatroban , Lepirudin , and Bivalirudin . An oral direct thrombin inhibitor, Ximelagatran (Exanta®) may replace warfarin for some indications. It is awaiting FDA approval. ANTICOAGULANTS OUTSIDE THE BODY Laboratory instruments, test tubes, blood transfusion bags, and medical and surgical equipment will get clogged up and become nonoperational if blood is allowed to clot. Chemicals can be added to stop blood clotting. Apart from heparin, most of these chemicals work by Binding Calcium ions, preventing the Coagulation proteins from using them.
''For the meaning of more colors, see Vacutainer#including_coagulants .'' |
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