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Heparin: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with "<section begin="clinical biochemistry" />'''Heparin''', more specifically '''unfractionated heparin''' (UFH) to distinguish them from low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is an anticoagulant. It's administered by intravenous or subcutaneous injection. Nowadays LMWH have replaced many use cases of UFH, as it's as efficacious and more predictable anticoagulant effect.<section end="clinical biochemistry" /> Heparin isn’t actually a single molecule but a family of larg...") |
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<section begin="clinical biochemistry" />'''Heparin''', more specifically '''unfractionated heparin''' (UFH) to distinguish them from [[low-molecular-weight heparin]] (LMWH) is an anticoagulant. It's administered by intravenous or subcutaneous injection. Nowadays LMWH have replaced many use cases of UFH, as it's as efficacious and more predictable anticoagulant effect.<section end="clinical biochemistry" /> | <section begin="clinical biochemistry" />'''Heparin''', more specifically '''unfractionated heparin''' (UFH) to distinguish them from [[low-molecular-weight heparin]] (LMWH) is an [[anticoagulant]]. It's administered by intravenous or subcutaneous injection. Nowadays LMWH have replaced many use cases of UFH, as it's as efficacious and more predictable anticoagulant effect.<section end="clinical biochemistry" /> | ||
Heparin isn’t actually a single molecule but a family of large and sulphated glycosaminoglycans that all act on antithrombin III. Heparin is actually present endogenously in the body inside the granules of mast cells. To acquire heparin the pharmaceutical industry extracts them from beef lung or pig intestine. However, because heparin isn’t a single molecule can the biological activity of it differ depending on where it is extracted from. Because of this the dose of heparin is not given in units of mass but rather in units of activity. The molecular weight of heparin is between 5 and 35 kDa, depending on where it was extracted from. | Heparin isn’t actually a single molecule but a family of large and sulphated glycosaminoglycans that all act on antithrombin III. Heparin is actually present endogenously in the body inside the granules of mast cells. To acquire heparin the pharmaceutical industry extracts them from beef lung or pig intestine. However, because heparin isn’t a single molecule can the biological activity of it differ depending on where it is extracted from. Because of this the dose of heparin is not given in units of mass but rather in units of activity. The molecular weight of heparin is between 5 and 35 kDa, depending on where it was extracted from. | ||
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== Antidote == | == Antidote == | ||
The antidote of heparin is a drug called protamine sulphate, which can be used if there is excessive bleeding. It binds to and inactivates heparin. | The antidote of heparin is a drug called protamine sulphate, which can be used if there is excessive bleeding. It binds to and inactivates heparin. | ||
<noinclude>[[Category:Pharmacology]]</noinclude> | <noinclude> | ||
[[Category:Pharmacology]] | |||
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