Medications Affecting Coagulatio

Medications Affecting Coagulation
Coumadin Heparin Lovenox
Mode of Action

Indications

Dosage/Route

Side Effects

Medications affecting Coagulation

Labs to Monitor

Antidote

Patient teaching

Medications affecting Coagulation:

Coumadin (Warfarin):

Mode of Action: Anticoagulant medication that works by inhibiting the formation of vitamin K dependent clotting factors in the liver.

Indications: Prevention and treatment of thromboembolic events such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and heart valve replacement.

Dosage/Route: Oral, starting dose varies based on patient specific factors such as age, weight, and underlying medical conditions.

Side Effects: Bleeding, skin rash, abdominal pain, nausea, and headache.

Labs to Monitor: International Normalized Ratio (INR) to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and prevent bleeding.

Antidote: Vitamin K is the antidote for warfarin toxicity.

Patient teaching: Importance of regular INR monitoring, avoiding alcohol and over-the-counter medications that can affect INR, and reporting any signs of bleeding to their healthcare provider.

Heparin:

Mode of Action: Anticoagulant medication that works by binding to and inhibiting the activity of the enzyme responsible for activating clotting factors.

Indications: Prevention and treatment of thromboembolic events, prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis, and treatment of unstable angina and non-Q-wave myocardial infarction.

Dosage/Route: Subcutaneous or intravenous, starting dose varies based on patient specific factors such as weight and medical history.

Side Effects: Bleeding, skin rash, nausea, and fever.

Labs to Monitor: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and prevent bleeding.

Antidote: Protamine sulfate is the antidote for heparin toxicity.

Patient teaching: Importance of regular aPTT monitoring, avoiding alcohol and over-the-counter medications that can affect aPTT, and reporting any signs of bleeding to their healthcare provider.

Lovenox (Enoxaparin):

Mode of Action: Anticoagulant medication that works by binding to and inhibiting the activity of clotting factors.

Indications: Prevention and treatment of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery.

Dosage/Route: Subcutaneous, starting dose varies based on patient specific factors such as weight and medical history.

Side Effects: Bleeding, skin rash, nausea, and headache.

Labs to Monitor: Anti-Xa assay to monitor the effectiveness of the medication and prevent bleeding.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote for enoxaparin toxicity.

Patient teaching: Importance of reporting any signs of bleeding to their healthcare provider, avoiding alcohol and over-the-counter medications that can affect bleeding, and proper self-injection technique.