heparin

Examples of heparin in the following topics:

• Anticoagulants

  • Where an immediate effect is required, heparin must be given concomitantly.
  • Heparin is a biological substance usually made from pig intestines.
  • Heparin can be used in vivo (by injection), and also in vitro to prevent blood or plasma clotting in or on medical devices.
  • Vacutainer brand test tubes containing heparin are usually colored green.

• Withdrawing Blood

  • The gold tube contains a clot activator and gel for serum separation, the green tube contains heparin for clinical chemistry, and the red tube contains a clot activator.

• Teratogens

  • Women with indications for warfarin therapy should either abstain from pregnancy or switch to low molecular weight heparins.

• Blood Plasma

  • Normally, anticoagulants and fibrinolytics in the plasma, such as plasmin and heparin, break up fibrin clots and inactivate thrombin.

• Fibrinolysis

  • Heparin is a fast-acting anticoagulant produced by the body and used as a drug which inhibits the activity of thrombin.

• Transient Ischemic Attacks

  • Example drugs used to prevent future TIAs include anti-coagulant medications, like heparin and warfarin, and anti-platelet medications such as aspirin.

• Overview of Hemostasis

  • The endothelial cells of intact vessels prevent clotting by expressing a fibrinolytic heparin molecule and thrombomodulin, which prevents platelet aggregation and stops the coagulation cascade with nitric oxide and prostacyclin.