Fibrinolytics Flashcards
What are the three things in Virchow’s triad?
- endothelial injury
- altered blood flow (low movement, e.g. DVT)
- abnormal coagulability (e.g. pregnancy)
Venous thromboses are usually associated with ___________ and have many ___________, whereas arterial thromboses are most often caused by __________ and _______ are predominant.
Venous (red thrombus): stasis; RBCs
Arterial: atherosclerosis (white thrombus); platelets (and leukocytes).
What is the significance of thrombin (factor IIa) in the coagulation cascade?
Active thrombin catalyses the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin - the insoluble fibre mesh that stabilises clots.
What is the ultimate goal of coagulation cascade?
The conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin.
What active factor activates thrombin from prothrombin? (i.e. IIa from II)
What is the meeting point of the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways?
Xa (activated from X)
What can activate factor X?
VII:TF, XII and IX.
Which factor is synonymous with “prothrombin activator?”
Xa
What complex in the intrinsic pathway activates factor X?
IXa:XIIa
What complex in the intrinsic pathway activates factor X?
IXa [:XIIa]
Which of the three main groups of anti-clotting drugs is good for arterial thrombi? Why?
Antiplatelets (e.g. aspirin) because platelets predominate in white thrombi.
What kind of thrombi are warfarin and heparin used to treat? Red or white?
RED.
Seems we just have to know that prostaglandins [and calcium] are essential to the overall process. Where do the prostaglandins come from?
PLATELETS provide the prostaglandins.
What is the main endogenous anticoagulant mentioned in this lecture?
Antithrombin III (ATIII)
What factors depend on vitamin K for synthesis?
II, VII, IX, X also protein C and S
Which factors are serine proteases (easy to remember)?
- ATIII neutralises serine proteases.
XII, XI, X, XI and II
[These factors depend on vitK for synthesis]
[These factors are neutralised by ATIII/heparin]
VitK: II, VII, IX, X also proteins C and S.
ATIII: XII, XI, X IX, II
What DOESN’T heparin help to neutralise?
VII.
What’s the exam example of a LMWH?
Dalteparin
Does unfractionated heparin have zero or first order kinetics?
Zero Half life (40-90mins) increases with dose.
How do you administer heparin? 3 steps.
- Give IV bolus
- maintain with constant rate IV
- Use in vitro APTT to adjust dose.
half life 40-90mins
What can unfractionated heparin neutralise that LMWH can’t?
Factor IIa.
So UFH: IIa and Xa (mainly), and
LMWH: Xa only
3 risky patients for heparin
ARL be sure to watch out for heparin side effect.
Aspirin
Liver problems
Renal failure