Anti-coagulents

What are the 3 types of anti-coagulants?

Vitamin K antagonists
Direct oral anti-coagulants (DOACs)
Low molecular weight heparins

What stimulates the clotting process to occur?

Damage to smooth muscle in vessel wall

What does damage to vessel wall smooth muscle stimulate + why?

Vasoconstriction to restrict blood loss

What do the broken ends of collagen fibres cause in clotting?

Platelets to come from bone marrow and form a plug

What do platelets release to help from clots?

Prothrombin activator + prothrombin = thrombin

What begins the coagulation phase?

Thrombin turns fibrinogens turn into fibrin which collects at the platelet plug

What are the 4 main phases of clotting?

Vasoconstriction
Platelet plug
Thrombin
Coagulation

How does a vitamin K antagonist work?

Reducing vitamin K = less prothrombin = less thrombin = fibrinogens cant turn to fibrin and accumulate at platelet plug

What is a common vitamin K antagonist ?

Warfarin

Where do the intrinsic and extrinsic clotting factors come together ?

Factor X

What does factor X turn into once activated?

Factor V

What does factor V activate?

Factor II = prothrombin to turn into thrombin

What do DOACs prevent?

Factor X from becoming active

What does Dabigatran do?

Stop factor II from being activated

What type of drug is heparin?

DOAC anti-coagulent

What does heparin do?

Boots anti thrombin by 1000x

When can paramedics give heparin?

Can't unless asked by pt clinical team