Anticoagulation essays

Anticoagulation essays The Circulatory system is made up of many blood vessels and is a self sealing system. When a blood vessel in injured, platelets begin to stick to each other and to the sides of the injured tissue to form a plug, or a clot, which becomes covered with strands of thread like fibrin. Soon the clot shrinks into place and blocks any further blood loss. Then the platelets release chemicals that start the healing process. The platelets in the blood are a very important role in clotting, because with out them a person could bleed to death from a simple scrape or scratch. However there are times when the platelets clot and become a problem. This is where anticoagulants are used. Anticoagulants are compounds that do not let the blood clot. They also prevent current blood clots from forming any larger. While clotting is essential to prevent serious bleeding in the case of skin cuts, clots inside the blood vessels block the flow of blood to major organs causing serious problems. There are three types of anticoagulants: Inhibitors of clotting factor synthesis, inhibitors of thrombin, and antiplatelet drugs. Inhibitors of clotting factor synthesis inhibit the production of certain clotting factors in the liver. Inhibitor of thrombin interferes with blood clotting by blocking the activity of thrombin, and antiplatelet drugs interact with platelets to block them from growing into larger clots. A person who takes anticoagulants should see a physician regularly, especially in the beginning of the therapy. The physician will often order test to see how well the blood is clotting. The results of these tests will determine the amount of medication that is needed to be taken each day. The physician will also take into account the medical condition to determine how much should be taken. Anticoagulant drugs must be taken exactly as directed by the physician. Anticoagulants should be taken on a schedule, so the patient sh ...