Pharmacology of Anticoagulation Therapy Flashcards
1
Q
What is hemostasis?
A
the process of clot formation to repair damaged vasculature
2
Q
What conditions predispose to clot formation?
A
- atherosclerosis
- DVT from bed rest, surgery, pregnancy, age, air travel
- A-fib (blood pools in the atrium)
3
Q
What are the 3 forms of heparin?
A
- unfractionated heparin
- low molecular weight heparins (LMWH)
- Fondaparinux (Arixtra)
4
Q
How do the heparins/oral anticoagulants work?
A
they interfere with the coagulation cascade and the formation of thrombin
5
Q
What does thrombin do?
A
it cleaves fibrinogen into fibrin
6
Q
What are fibrinolytic agents?
A
they breakdown clots by increasing plasmin levels
7
Q
What are antiplatelet agents?
A
they block activation of platelets
