Drugs and blood

Question 1

How is a thrombus caused?

Answer 1

By the pooling of blood in veins due to sluggish flow.
Damaged vessels.
Atheromatous plaques.

Question 2

How is an embolus caused?

Answer 2

Fragment that travels through the blood and blocks small blood vessels

Question 3

Name the two main anticoagulants…

Answer 3

Warfarin and heparin

Question 4

What do low weight molecular heparin drugs end in…

Answer 4

PARIN. E.g. enoxoparin, dalteparin and tinzaparin.

Question 5

What does heparin activate?

Answer 5

Antithrombin which inactivates thrombin

Question 6

How is heparin given?

Answer 6

IV or subcutaneously

Question 7

How is warfarin given?

Answer 7

Orally

Question 8

What does Vit K do?

Answer 8

Activates clotting factors

Question 9

Name a problem with warfarin…

Answer 9

Slow onset (patient only fully anticoagulated 3 days after taking warfarin)

Question 10

Low INR means…

Answer 10

Greater clotting

Question 11

High INR means…

Answer 11

Greater risk of bleeding

Question 12

Name the two new anticoagulants…

Answer 12

Rivaroxaban and Dabigatran

Question 13

Name the main antiplatelet drug…

Answer 13

Aspirin

Question 14

What does aspirin do?

Answer 14

Irreversibly blocks COX enzyme reducing TxA2 synthesis

Question 15

Name the 3 targets for antiplatelet drugs…

Answer 15

1. TxA2 in platelet
2. cAMP levels in platelet
3. glycoprotein receptors on platelet

Question 16

How long does it take to make new platelets?

Answer 16

7-10 days

Question 17

Where does clopidogrel act?

Answer 17

At glycoprotein receptors

Question 18

What inhibits the ADP receptor?

Answer 18

Clopidogrel

Question 19

What is plasmin?

Answer 19

An enzyme formed in the blood which destroys blood clots by attacking fibrin

Question 20

What is plasminogen?

Answer 20

Inactive form of plasmin

Question 21

What are fibrinolytic drugs for?

Answer 21

Dissolving a pre-existing clot or thrombus

Question 22

When are fibrinlyotic drugs most effective?

Answer 22

6 hours after the onset of symptoms

Question 23

Dangers of fibrinolytic drugs?

Answer 23

Haemorrhage and risk of emboli

Question 24

What do fibrinolytic drugs end in?

Answer 24

ASE e.g. alteplase

Question 25

What does alteplase do?

Answer 25

Converts inactive plasminogen to active plasmin

Question 26

What does alteplase bind to?

Answer 26

fibrin strands which are bound to plasminogen inside a thrombus

Question 27

Does heparin increase of decrease the rate of formation of anti-thrombin III-thrombin complex

Answer 27

Increases

Question 28

Which drug interferes with the COX enzyme?

Answer 28

Aspirin