Thrombolytic therapy
Definitions: Thrombolytic therapy is a treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in the blood vessels, to improve blood flow and prevent damage to tissue and organs.
Thrombolytic therapy can also be said as, Thrombolysis. Thrombolysis may involve the injection of clot-busting drugs through an intravenous (IV) line or through a long catheter that delivers drugs directly to the site of the blockage. It also may involve the use of a long catheter with a mechanical device attached to the tip that either removes the clot or physically breaks it up.
Thrombolysis is often used as an emergency treatment to dissolve blood clots that form in arteries feeding the heart and brain -- the main cause of heart attacks and ischemic strokes
He should have been taking a blood thinner. This will decrease the blood’s ability to clot. This keeps the existing clots from getting
Dora is right in believing that there is a medication that helps patients that are experiencing a stroke. This medication is given to patients that are having an ischemic stroke. This medication is a tissue plasminogen activator also known as a TPA, which is a thrombolytic and it breaks up clots (Stroke Treatment). There are two fibrinolytics that can be used, alteplase and tenecteplase (Bledsoe, p.g. 112). This medication improves the chances of recovering from an ischemic stroke. Alteplase is an enzyme called serine protease that has the same property of fibrin enhanced conversion of plasminogen into plasmin. “It produces limited conversion of plasminogen in the absence of fibrin. Alteplase binds to fibrin in a thrombus and converts the
If the Doppler US is positive, the patient would be referred to a hematologist and/or a vascular surgeon for treatment with anti-coagulation therapy. The surgeon would determine if any intervention is necessary for a thrombectomy. The patient would be advised to begin wearing below the knee elastic compression stockings to help with circulation and to decrease the chance of venous ischemia. The anticoagulation therapy will continue for 3-12 months.
A carotid angioplasty with stenting. This is a nonsurgical interventional procedure. A wire mesh (stent) is used to widen the blocked carotid arteries.
it is often used to help prevent heart attacks, strokes and blood clots because of its antiplatelet effect
If the ultrasound has findings, or if there are clinical symptoms that suggest proximal disease (iliocaval), then an x-ray venogram of the pelvis may be performed. However, it is not the method of choice. This is beneficial though because compared to CT, it uses a significant less amount of radiation. It still uses radiation, but not as much. The lowest rating in the rankings is x-ray venography of the lower extremity. This exam is generally used in conjunction with thrombolysis. Thrombolysis is a treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in the blood vessels to improve blood flow and prevent damage to the tissues and organs. It may involve the injection of clot-busting drugs through an intravenous line or through a long catheter that delivers drugs directly to the site of the blockage. These types of exams are not as common as the use of an MRI or CT machine may be because of the severity of a
This organ system has a number of functions namely, to keep a constant body temperature as well as to ensure coagulation occurs specifically at the site of injury, as well as to ensure no added blood loss occurs to cause life-threatening effects. This process of blood coagulation is explained in three interconnected phases. In the first phase, the enzyme thrombokinase is activated due to the damage of tissue and the breaking down of platelets. Prothrombin is converted into thrombin by the disintegration of the thrombocytes, electrically charged calcium ions and other coagulation factors, as well as the blood activator and tissue activator which become involved in the coagulation process. The second phase includes production of the thrombin that transforms fibrinogen in the blood plasma into fibrin. The thrombus (or blood clotting) is formed by a fibrilliform mesh that encloses the blood cells. Lastly, the third phase, which takes place as retraction occurs of the fibres of the fibrin mesh. Solidification of the fibrous mesh takes place which closes the defect in the vascular wall. Coagulation is then followed by fibrinolysis (re-dissolution of the clot).
Compression stockings and brief walks to promote blood circulation can aid in resolving and also preventing DVTs. Findings from clinical trials have shown the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological prevention with low, fixed doses of anticoagulant drugs (Goldhaber). “Although approximately half of venous thrombotic events treated with traditional anticoagulant blood thinners resolve during a 3 to 6 month conventional duration, the risk of Post Thrombotic syndrome (PTS) persists, possibly due to acute valvular damage from complete venous obstruction (Greene). Anticoagulants have been recommended for at least 3 months, though duration of this therapy should be based on the risk of recurrence as well as whether the blood clot has
Pharmacologic interventions are used to prevent blood clots from occurring in the body. Coronary vasodilators and antithrombotic drugs are used to increase oxygen delivery to the myocardium. Vasodilators and cardiac depressants, which decrease heart rate and contractility), are drugs used to decrease the oxygen demand. A decrease in demand compensates for the lack of oxygen going to the myocardium . Vasodilators include calcium channel blockers and nitrodilators; cardioinhibitory drugs include beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers; and antithrombotic drugs include anticoagulants and antiplatelet
To understand the use of thromboprophylaxis in medical surgical patient to reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis, one must first review the physiology related to the condition. Deep vein thrombosis occurs due to occluded veins or stasis within the veins, which more frequently occurs within the lower extremities. Venous return is often compromised because it goes against the flow of gravity and the
Therapeutic phlebotomy (TP) is the usual and most effective method of treatment form hemochromatosis. Therapeutic phlebotomy is the extraction of one unit, or approximately 450 ml, at the frequency of at least once every two weeks. The goal of this treatment is to get the ferritin levels in the blood below 50 ng/ml and the transferrin saturation levels below 50%. If this treatment is begun in the early stages of hemochromatosis, then the damage to the joints and organs can be prevented. If the person already has liver disease, then therapeutic phlebotomy may improve the performance of the heart, diabetes, and skin
Coagulation is a natural physiological process and is required for the normal functioning of the body. At sites where there is injury to the blood vessels, blood clots are formed as a result of activation of coagulation pathway. Platelets are attracted to the site of injury and a network of tissues is formed. It gets dissolved as the wound heals. However, if the clotting plug increases in size and does not dissolve, there are chances of thrombotic episodes. LMWH are modulators of the coagulation pathway. Enoxaparin is a LMWH, hance, used to treat patients with myocardial infarction or related thrombotic disorders. An effective dose of the drug need to be provided to the patient. ‘Therapeutic dosing period’ is the time period calculated on a
thrombus, a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains there, and possibly cause death”
When a person is injured, the body forms a blood clot to help stop the bleeding. Normally after the bleeding has stopped and the injury has healed, the body should remove the clots, but in some cases, blood clots form too easily or they do not dissolve like they should. This can limit or block blood flow in the body, a condition called Hypercoagulation, or excessive blood clotting. There are factors that cause this condition, along with effects from it and treatments that can help.
Patient 2 was a 65 year old female who had arrived with her blood test request form for a coagulation screen, which includes INR (prothrombin time), APTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) and fibrinogen. A prothrombin test measures how long it takes for blood to clot, or, coagulate. APTT is a screening test done which evaluates the function of a patient’s intrinsic clotting system, the factors of prothrombin and fibrinogen that are involved, as well as prekallikrein (PK) and high molecular weight kininogen (HK). Additionally, Patient 2’s heparin anticoagulant therapy needed to be monitored; heparin being an anticoagulant which is administered intravenously or by injection in order to treat blood clots. A single CITRATE tube of the colour light blue was used for the patient’s blood collection; this tube contains sodium citrate as an anticoagulant and is used for drawing blood for the purpose of coagulation studies.