5 - Anticoagulants Flashcards
What is hemostasis?
Process that prevents blood loss from damaged blood vessels via vasoconstriction, adhesion and activation of platelets (platelet plug), and formation of fibrin.
What is Thrombosis?
Pathological formation of a “hemostatic” plug within the vasculature in the absence of bleeding.
Where do venous thrombi typically occur? When is this most serious?
In the superficial or deep veins of the leg.
DVT in the larger leg veins (above knee) is more serious because thrombi often embolize to the lungs and cause pulm infarction.
When does arterial thrombosis occur? What are the clinical manifestations of this?
ADD CLINICAL INDICATIONS
After erosion or rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque.
Cardiac ischemia and stroke are the most severe clinical manifestations of artherothrombosis.
What drug is an antagonist of heparin?
Protamine sulfate
What drug is an antagonist of dabigatran?
Idarucizumab
What drug is an antagnoist of thrombolytics?
Aminocaproic acid
Briefly describe the coagulation cascade? What is this synthesis dependent on?
- Activagtion of Factor X to Xa
- Conversion of prothrombin (II) to thrombin (IIa)
- Thrombin-mediated transformation of fibrinogen to fibrin ( the glue)
Synthesis dependent on Vitamin K: factors II, IX, X, and VII
What is heparin (unfractioned)?
Highly negative heterogenous mixture with a high molecular weight.
What is the mechanism of action of unfractionated heparin?
Antithrombin (AT) traps and inactivates coag factors, esp thrombin and Xa.
Heparin binds AT causing a conformational change in the reactive site, causing a 1000-fold increase in the rxn rate.
Serves as a catalytic template to which AT and activated coag factors can bind.
How effective are low molecular weight heparins?
They poorly catalyze the inhibition of thrombin by antithrombin (AT).
Can’t inhibit thrombin well because it doesn’t wrap around it like high MW heparin does.
Longer half life than heparin.
What does heparin do and not do?
Does NOT affect synthesis of clotting factors or lyse the existing clot.
DOES prevent further clot formation and prevents further extension of the clot.
What is the absorption and metabolism of heparin?
Not absorbed orally because it’s large and - charged, given by IV for immediate onset of action.
Half-life dose dependent.
Does not cross placenta and can be used in pregnancy.
How do you know if heparin is working?
Get an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).
Heparin is therapeutic when the aPTT is 1.5 to 2.5 times the normal mean.
What adverse reactions are associated with heparin? How is this treated?
Bleeding/hemorrhage is a major adverse rxn.
Controlled with antagonist, protamine sulfate.
Other than bleeding, what is another adverse effect of heparin? What is the mechanism by which this occurs?
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: small number of pts but greater incidence in women.
- IgG Ab form against heparin-platelet factor 3.
- Copmlex activated platelets by binding FcgammaIIa receptors on platelet
- Causes plately aggregation and a fall in platement #
Discontinue heparin immediately
What are contraindications for heparin use?
Active bleeding
Severe uncontrolled HTN
Recent surgery of the eye, brain, or spinal cord
What are the therapeutic uses of heparin?
DVT or pulm embolism.
Initial management or acute MI
Drug choice for anticoagulation during pregnancy.
Low dose for prevention in surgical pts
NOT used chronically
What drug has a longer half life than heparin, is advantageous in a hospital setting, and has renal elimination? What are the benefits to using this? What are the contraindictions? What are therapeutic uses?
Enoxaparin (low molecular weight heparin).
Less risk of bleeding, lower risk of thrombocytopenia.
Used for ACUTE DVT and acute angina/MI.
Contraindications same as heparin + renal impairment
Poor inhibitor of thrombin due to it’s size.
What parenterally administered anticoagulant is used as a selective factor Xa inhibitor? Does it require AT?
Fondaparinux
Requires antithrombin (AT); Has no effect on AT-thrombin.
Given SubQ.
Adverse effect: hemorrhage