CANDIDO, ALAIN JON DOXI

Group B
Drugs That Affect the Hematological System

Anticoagulants are used to prevent the formation and extension of a thrombus

(blood clot).
Anticoagulants have no direct effect on an existing thrombus and do not reverse any
damage from the thrombus.
Anticoagulants have no direct effect on an existing thrombus and do not reverse any
damage from the thrombus.
○ They do not dissolve formed clots, improve blood flow in tissues around the clot,
or prevent ischemic damage to tissues beyond the clot.
○ However, once the presence of a thrombus has been established, anticoagulant
therapy can prevent additional clots from forming.
Thrombolytic drugs dissolve blood clots that have already formed within the walls of a
blood vessel.

Hemostasis - the process that stops bleeding in a blood vessel. Normal hemostasis involves a
complex process of extrinsic and intrinsic factors.

Thrombosis - the formation of a clot. A thrombus may form in any vessel, artery, or vein when
blood flow is impeded.

Clot Lysis - When a blood clot is being formed, plasminogen (an inactive protein found in many
body tissues and fluids) is bound to fibrin and becomes a component of the clot.

Arterial thrombosis is usually associated with atherosclerotic plaque, hypertension, and

turbulent blood flow.

Venous thrombosis is usually associated with venous stasis.

COUMARIN AND INDANDIONE DERIVATIVES

➢ Warfarin (Coumadin), a coumarin derivative, is the oral anticoagulant most
commonly prescribed.
○ It is the drug of choice for patients requiring long-term therapy with an
anticoagulant.
○ Peak activity is reached 1.5 to 3 days after therapy is initiated.
➢ Anisindione (Miradon), an indandione derivative, is less frequently used but an
effective anticoagulant.

ACTIONS
➢ All anticoagulants interfere with the clotting mechanism of the blood.
➢ Warfarin and anisindione interfere with the manufacturing of vitamin K-dependent
clotting factors by the liver.

USES
Warfarin is used for:
➢ Prevention (prophylaxis) and treatment of DVT
➢ Prevention and treatment of atrial fibrillation with embolization
➢ Prevention and treatment of PE
➢ As part of the treatment of MI
➢ Prevention of thrombus formation after valve replacement

ADVERSE REACTIONS
➢ The principal adverse reaction associated with warfarin is bleeding, which may range
from very mild to severe.
➢ Bleeding may be seen in many areas of the body, such as the bladder, bowel, stomach,
uterus, and mucous membranes.
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CONTRAINDICATIONS
Warfarin is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the drug,
○ hemorrhagic disease,
○ tuberculosis,
○ leukemia,
○ uncontrolled hypertension,
○ gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers,
○ recent surgery of the eye or central nervous system,
○ aneurysms, or severe renal or hepatic disease,
○ and during pregnancy and lactation.
○ Use during pregnancy (Pregnancy Category X) can cause fetal death.

Nursing Responsibilities
➢ Before administering the first dose of warfarin, the nurse questions the patient about all
drugs taken during the previous 2 to 3 weeks (if the patient was recently admitted to the
hospital).
➢ If the patient has a DVT, it usually occurs in a lower extremity.
○ Examine the extremity for color and skin temperature.
○ Check for a pedal pulse, note the rate and strength of the pulse.
○ Note areas of redness or tenderness and asks the patient to describe current
symptoms.
Withhold the drug and notifies the physician if the PT exceeds 1.2 to 1.5 times the control
value or the INR ratio exceeds 3.
➢ The nurse checks the following for signs of bleeding:
○ Urinal, bedpan, catheter drainage unit.
○ Skin, mucous membranes.
○ Emesis basin, nasogastric suction units

Client Teaching
➢ Avoid alcohol unless use has been approved by the primary health care provider.
➢ The PT or INR will be monitored periodically.
➢ Use a soft toothbrush.
➢ Advise the patient to limit foods high in vitamin K, such as leafy green vegetables, beans,
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cheese, fish, and yogurt.

FRACTIONATED AND
FRACTIONATED AND
UNFRACTIONATED HEPARIN
➢ Heparin preparations are available as heparin sodium and the low-molecular-weight
heparins (fractionated heparins).
➢ Heparin is not a single drug, but rather a mixture of high and low-molecular-weight drugs.
○ Examples of LMWHs are dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), and
tinzaparin (Innohep).
➢ Frequent laboratory monitoring, as with heparin, is not necessary.
➢ Bleeding is less likely to occur with LMWHs than with heparin.

USES
Heparin is used for:
➢ Prevention and treatment of venous thrombosis, PE, peripheral arterial embolism;
➢ Prevention of postoperative venous thrombosis (DVT) and PE in certain patients
undergoing surgical procedures, such as major abdominal surgery;
➢ Prevention of a repeat cerebral thrombosis in some patients who have experienced a
stroke;

ADVERSE REACTIONS
➢ Hemorrhage is the chief complication of heparin administration.

➢ Hemorrhage can range from

CANDIDO, ALAIN JON DOXI
Group B
○ Minor local bruising to major hemorrhaging from any organ.
○ Thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets in the blood).
➢ Other adverse reactions include local irritation when heparin is given via the SC route.
➢ More serious hypersensitivity reactions include an asthma-like reaction and an
anaphylactoid reaction.

CONTRAINDICATIONS
➢ Heparin preparations are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the
drug, active bleeding (except when caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation),
hemorrhagic disorders, severe thrombocytopenia, or recent surgery (except for the
LMWHs used after certain surgical procedures to prevent thromboembolic complications)
and during pregnancy (Pregnancy Category C).

PRECAUTIONS
➢ Treatment with heparin preparations is approached cautiously
○ In the elderly,
○ In patients with
 severe renal or kidney disease,
 diabetes,
 diabetic retinopathy,
 ulcer disease,
 or uncontrolled hypertension, and
○ In all patients with a potential site for bleeding or hemorrhage.

Nursing Interventions
➢ Assess vital signs every 2 to 4 hours or more frequently during administration.
➢ Reports reactions, such as chills, fever, or hives, to the physician.
➢ A complete blood count, platelets, and stools for occult blood may be ordered periodically
throughout therapy
➢ Reports a platelet count of less than 100,000 mm3 immediately.

Health Teaching
The nurse includes the following in a patient and family teaching plan:
♦ Report any signs of active bleeding immediately.
♦ Regular coagulation blood tests are critical for safe monitoring of the drug (except the
LMWHs).
♦ Avoid IM injections while receiving anticoagulant therapy.
♦ Use a soft toothbrush when cleaning the teeth and an electric razor for shaving.
♦ Do not take any prescription or nonprescription drugs without consulting the primary
health care provider. Drugs containing alcohol, aspirin, or ibuprofen may alter the effects
of heparin.

THROMBOLYTIC DRUGS
➢ Thrombolytics are a group of drugs used to dissolve certain types of blood clots and
reopen blood vessels after they have been occluded.
➢ Examples of thrombolytics include
○ alteplase recombinant (Activase),
○ reteplase recombinant (Retavase),
○ streptokinase (Streptase),
○ tenecteplase (TNKase),
○ and urokinase (Abbokinase).
Before these drugs are used, their potential benefits must be carefully weighed against
the potential dangers of bleeding.

INDICATION
➢ These drugs are used to treat an acute MI by lysing (dissolving) a blood clot in a coronary
artery.
➢ These drugs are also effective in lysing clots causing PE and DVT.

CONTRAINDICATIONS
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Thrombolytic drugs are contraindicated in patients
➢ with known hypersensitivity,
➢ Active bleeding,
➢ History of stroke,
➢ Aneurysm,
➢ And recent intracranial surgery.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
➢ Bleeding is the most common adverse reaction seen with the use of these drugs.
➢ Bleeding may be internal and involve areas such as the GI tract, genitourinary tract, and
the brain.
➢ May also be external (superficial) and may be seen at areas of broken skin, such as
venipuncture sites and recent surgical wounds.
➢ Allergic reactions may also be seen.

Nursing Intervention
➢ Identify any history of bleeding tendencies, heart disease, or allergic reactions to any
drugs.
➢ Assess the patient for anaphylactic reactions (difficulty breathing, wheezing, fever,
swelling around the eyes, hives, or itching) particularly with anistreplase or
streptokinase.
○ Resuscitation equipment is immediately available.

Health Teaching
♦ Explains the need for continuous monitoring before and after administration of the
thrombolytic drug.
♦ Instructs the patient to report any evidence of hypersensitivity reaction (rash, difficulty
breathing) or evidence of bleeding or bruising.