QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: GLOSSARY

Anticoagulants

Treatment to prevent the blood from clotting; this carries a risk of bleeding.

There are 3 main methods:

• Heparin. Often given in hospital by injection to cover patients in bed with heart attacks and patients with venous thrombosis (clots in the veins). The dosage needs laboratory control. The effect of heparin can be reversed by protamine sulphate.

• Low molecular weight heparins. Can be given by subcutaneous injection out of hospital, without laboratory control, for venous thrombosis. May also be used in stead of heparin in hospital.

• Warfarin, also used as rat poison. Dosage needs laboratory control. Used for patients out of hospital requiring long term anticoagulation for venous thrombosis. Used to be used for patients for one year after heart attacks caused by coronary thrombosis. Retrospective analyses of these data suggest that this was, perhaps, of some use in preventing further attacks.

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