Heparin

Indications

• • Anticoagulant

    • Acute coronary syndrome, e.g., NSTEMI

  • Atrial fibrillation

    • Deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

    • Cardiopulmonary bypass for heart surgery.

    • ECMO circuit for extracorporeal life support

    • Haemofiltration

Administration/Absorption

• • parenteral

Distribution

Mechanism

• • highly-sulfated glycosaminoglycan (highest negative charge density of any known biological molecule)

  • Binds to the enzyme inhibitor antithrombin III (AT)

    • causing a conformational change that results in its activation through an increase in the flexibility of its reactive site loop.^[15]

    • The activated AT then inactivates thrombin and other proteases involved in blood clotting, most notably factor Xa

Excretion

Side effects

• • heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)