heparin
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A substance that slows or prevents blood clotting. Heparin is a naturally occurring polysaccharide (a type of sugar molecule) produced by certain cells in the body, particularly in the lungs and liver. It works as an anticoagulant by inhibiting thrombin, a key enzyme in the blood coagulation process. It is also manufactured as a medication.
Usage
Heparin is used primarily in medical contexts. * It is administered to prevent and treat dangerous blood clots, such as those in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism. * It is a critical drug used during surgical procedures, like heart surgery, to prevent clotting in the surgical field and in medical devices like heart-lung machines.
Examples
- The patient was given an intravenous injection of heparin to prevent further clotting.
- During the bypass operation, heparin is essential to keep the blood from coagulating in the tubes.
- Low-molecular-weight heparin is often used for long-term prevention of thrombosis.
Advanced Usage
- Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT): A serious potential side effect where heparin therapy leads to a low platelet count and can paradoxically cause new blood clots to form.
- Heparin flush: A dilute heparin solution used to keep intravenous (IV) lines and catheters from becoming blocked by clots.
- Heparin rebound: A phenomenon where anticoagulant effects reappear after heparin has been stopped and its effects supposedly reversed.
Variants and Related Words
- Heparinize (verb): To treat with heparin.
- Anticoagulant (noun): The general class of drugs to which heparin belongs. Other examples include warfarin and dabigatran.
- Thrombin (noun): The enzyme that heparin inhibits to prevent clot formation.
Synonyms
- Anticoagulant
- Blood thinner (informal, general term)
Related Phrases and Terms
- Unfractionated heparin (UFH): The standard, older form of heparin.
- Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH): A more refined, commonly used type of heparin (e.g., enoxaparin, dalteparin) with more predictable effects.
- Protamine sulfate: The antidote used to reverse the effects of heparin in case of overdose or bleeding.
Noun
- a polysaccharide produced in basophils (especially in the lung and liver) and that inhibits the activity of thrombin in coagulation of the blood; it (trade names Lipo-Hepin and Liquaemin) is used as an anticoagulant in the treatment of thrombosis and in heart surgery