Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: UMLS:C0034065 (
pulmonary embolism
)
14,979
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
The anticoagulant agents commonly used in prevention and treatment of
pulmonary embolism
are unfractionated heparin, and more recently, low molecular weight heparins, and oral anticoagulants. Unfractionated heparin is the drug of choice for prophylaxis and short-term treatment of
pulmonary embolism
. Oral anticoagulants are used for prophylaxis in high risk patients and in long-term treatment of
pulmonary embolism
. Independent overview analysis of clinical trials in elective surgery showed a 60 to 70% reduction in the incidence of fatal
pulmonary embolism
in heparin-treated patients when they were compared with placebo-treated patients. Low dose heparin has also been shown to be effective in reducing venous thromboembolism after myocardial infarction and other serious medical disorders. In high risk patients prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparins or adjusted doses of unfractionated heparin is recommended. The objectives of treating patients with
pulmonary embolism
are to prevent death, to reduce morbidity from the acute event, and to prevent thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. These objectives are achieved by the administration of heparin followed by oral anticoagulants. Heparin is generally administered for 7 to 10 days and is followed by oral anticoagulants. Although widely used and effective in the prevention and treatment of
pulmonary embolism
, unfractionated heparin has some pharmacological limitations. Heparin presents an aspecific "nonfunctional" binding to plasma proteins such as fibrinogen, factor VIII,
vitronectin
, and fibronectin. This aspecific binding limits the anticoagulant effect of unfractionated heparin and, is responsible for the heparin resistance observed in some patients with
pulmonary embolism
as well as of the high intersubject variability of the heparin-induced anticoagulant effect. Antithrombotic agents, such as low molecular weight heparins and pure thrombin inhibitors (hirudin and its analogues), do not specifically bind to plasma protein and they will probably improve the efficacy and practicality of the treatment of
pulmonary embolism
.
...
PMID:Anticoagulation in the prevention and treatment of pulmonary embolism. 781 28
