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An anticoagulant, commonly known as a blood thinner, is a chemical substance that prevents or reduces the coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. [1] Some occur naturally in blood-eating animals, such as leeches and mosquitoes , which help keep the bite area unclotted long enough for the animal to obtain blood.
Side effects may include bleeding, most commonly from the nose, gastrointestinal tract (GI) or genitourinary system. [2] Compared to the risk of bleeding with warfarin use, direct factor Xa inhibitors have a higher risk of GI bleeding, but lower risk of bleeding in the brain. [2]
Apixaban is a highly selective, orally bioavailable, and reversible direct inhibitor of free and clot-bound factor Xa. Factor Xa catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, the final enzyme in the coagulation cascade that is responsible for fibrin clot formation. [ 28 ]
Blood coagulation is a complex process by which the blood forms clots. It is an essential part of hemostasis and works by stopping blood loss from damaged blood vessels. [10] At the site of injury, where there is an exposure of blood under the endothelium, the platelets gather and immediately form a plug. That process is called primary hemostasis.
Andexanet alfa, sold under the brand name Andexxa among others, is an antidote for the medications rivaroxaban and apixaban, when reversal of anticoagulation is needed due to uncontrolled bleeding. [8] It has not been found to be useful for other factor Xa inhibitors. [9] It is given by injection into a vein. [9]
Fresh normal plasma has all the blood coagulation factors with normal levels. If the problem is a simple factor deficiency, mixing the patient plasma 1:1 with plasma that contains 100% of the normal factor level results in a level ≥50% in the mixture (say the patient has an activity of 0%; the average of 100% + 0% = 50%). [3]
Results are given in units/mL of anti-factor Xa, such that high values indicate high levels of anticoagulation and low values indicate low levels of anticoagulation in the plasma sample. [ 17 ] LMWHs have a targeted therapeutic window of approximately 0.6–1.2 IU/ml. LMWH has a potency of 70 units/mg of anti-factor Xa activity and a ratio of ...
Clinical approaches on how to overcome clopidogrel resistance include higher doses of clopidogrel, concomitant use with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor cilostazol or switching to a new antiplatelet agent such as prasugrel and ticagrelor. Still, the major concern with these methods above are increased risk of bleeding.