General Pharmacology: Anticoagulation and Clotting Mechanisms

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts in pharmacology related to anticoagulation and clotting mechanisms.

Hemostasis

The process of clot formation to stop bleeding after vascular injury.

Thrombosis

The process of blood clot (thrombus) formation in a blood vessel.

Primary Hemostasis

Formation of a weak platelet plug.

Secondary Hemostasis

Stabilizing the weak platelet plug into a clot by the fibrin network.

Unfractionated Heparin (UFH)

A naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan, used as an anticoagulant that inactivates various clotting factors.

Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH)

Heparin with a longer half-life, used to prevent and treat thromboembolic disorders.

Warfarin

An oral anticoagulant that inhibits vitamin K-dependent clotting factors.

Thrombolytics

Medications used to dissolve intravascular clots; they are in the plasminogen activator class of drugs.

Fibrinolysis

The removal of blood clots by breaking them down through enzymatic action.

Direct Factor Xa Inhibitors

Anticoagulants that selectively inhibit Factor Xa, preventing clot formation.

Idarucizumab

An antidote for dabigatran, designed to reverse its anticoagulant effects.

Prothrombin Time (PT)

A test that measures the time it takes for blood to clot, primarily assessing the extrinsic pathway.

International Normalized Ratio (INR)

A standardized measure to evaluate the effectiveness of anticoagulants like warfarin.

Antithrombin III

A protein that inhibits thrombin and other coagulation factors; it is essential for the anticoagulant effects of heparin.

Anticoagulant

A substance that prevents blood coagulation, used to reduce the risk of thrombosis.

Vitamin K Antagonists

A class of anticoagulants that obstruct the action of vitamin K, essential for synthesizing clotting factors.

Dabigatran

An oral direct thrombin inhibitor used as an anticoagulant.

Factor Xa

A key protein in the coagulation cascade that, when activated, leads to the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin.

Argatroban

A direct thrombin inhibitor used in the treatment of thrombosis.

Thrombus

A blood clot that forms inside a vein or artery, restricting blood flow.

Fibrinogen

A soluble plasma glycoprotein that is converted to fibrin during blood coagulation.