Anticoagulant: Difference between revisions
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An anticoagulant is a pharmaceutical drug or natural substance that | An anticoagulant is a pharmaceutical drug or natural substance that is used to prevent or treat blood clots, otherwise known as a [[Thrombus]]. Two common anticoagulant drugs are [[Heparin]] and [[Warfarin|Warfarin]], which both act to prevent the clotting of blood in a vein or artery that may have lead to diseases such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms which could lead to fatality<ref>http://patient.info/health/anticoagulants</ref>. Heparin is administered intravenously and therefore is used in an emergency to elicit a quick response, such as in atrial fibrillation<ref>https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682826.html</ref>. Warfarin is administered in a tablet form so can be taken at home, and can be used to prevent a blood clot from either forming or becoming larger<ref>Warfarin, Medline Plus, October 2015</ref>. It works by reducing the amount of active [[Vitamin K|Vitamin K]] in the blood, which is required for the mechanism of blood clotting factor VII and prothrombin<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin</ref>.<br> | ||
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Revision as of 14:33, 23 October 2015
An anticoagulant is a pharmaceutical drug or natural substance that is used to prevent or treat blood clots, otherwise known as a Thrombus. Two common anticoagulant drugs are Heparin and Warfarin, which both act to prevent the clotting of blood in a vein or artery that may have lead to diseases such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms which could lead to fatality[1]. Heparin is administered intravenously and therefore is used in an emergency to elicit a quick response, such as in atrial fibrillation[2]. Warfarin is administered in a tablet form so can be taken at home, and can be used to prevent a blood clot from either forming or becoming larger[3]. It works by reducing the amount of active Vitamin K in the blood, which is required for the mechanism of blood clotting factor VII and prothrombin[4].
References
- ↑ http://patient.info/health/anticoagulants
- ↑ https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682826.html
- ↑ Warfarin, Medline Plus, October 2015
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin