The so-called anti-coagulant drugs are used to prevent a sometimes disturbed natural process, blood clotting. Normally, coagulation involves repairing damaged or even perforated walls of blood vessels. It is to achieve this that the blood cells, and more specifically the platelets, form small blood agglomerates, called clots.

Coagulation is therefore very often beneficial for the organism, and even vital: without it, the wounds could not heal. Why then use an anti-coagulant medication? This is because in other cases, the famous clots can be abnormally large, thick, or in the wrong places.

What trigger thromboses, an obstruction of the blood circulation, which in return can potentially have serious consequences, even fatal:

• Stroke,
• myocardial infarction,
• pulmonary and cerebral embolism.

An anti-coagulant drug will therefore aim to prevent the production of new clots in the blood, or avoid the “snowball” effect on those already existing.

Anti-coagulant drugs, sometimes called “thinners” for their role in thinning the blood, will come in different types. There are thus two categories:

Injectables

This category, as its name suggests, consists of directly sending the drug into the bloodstream. They use special agents, heparins and antithrombotics, to prevent the blockage caused by clots. This method is often dictated by urgency, for example to clear a thrombus formed by blood clots. Some examples of injectable anticoagulants: Calciparin, Fraxiparin, heparin, or Lovenox.

Orally

Unlike their injectable counterpart, oral anti-coagulants are more preventive and medical monitoring. Among them, we note the method consisting in blocking the action of vitamin K (necessary during blood coagulation), as well as the NACO (or AOD), a new category of anticoagulant whose effect d The action is played out over the long term. Some examples of oral anticoagulants: Coudamine, Préviscan, Sintrom, or Pradaxa (NACO).

An anti-coagulant drug is used for different purposes:

Risk prevention

In a patient with a high risk of infarction, pulmonary and cerebral embolism, or arrhythmia, anti-coagulants are a preventive solution, in order to slow down the formation of clots and therefore avoid the disorder. This is often only a temporary solution.

Inflammation sanguine

In the case of phlebitis, local inflammation in a vein, anti-coagulants will remove or lighten the burden of clots in the inflammation.

In case of cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy refers to heart disease, a disorder that requires more careful attention than usual for the formation of thrombi and clots.

With an artificial heart valve

Mechanical heart valves require anticoagulant therapy to ensure they are functioning properly.

After a heart attack

Patients who have had a heart attack (infarction) will be more likely than average to have another one, following the presence of clots in the blood.

One of the markers used to monitor the rate of blood clotting is lNR (International Normalized Ratio). This is a standardized rate of different measurements of prothrombin time (PT), also known as “prothrombin time”.

The idea is to measure the activity of vitamin K, central in blood clotting.

The INR consists in comparing the PT rate of a patient on anticoagulation treatment, compared to a “neutral” patient.

For the test to be effective, it will have to be carried out in a single laboratory.

The risks of taking anti-coagulants

There are different risks to watch out for after treatment:

Bleeding, a disorder inherent in any anti-coagulant

As the role of coagulation is vital for the body, the action of anti-coagulant drugs can have serious side effects, such as the risk of greater bleeding. Indeed, even if the patient will be protected from clots and therefore from infarction or embolism, he will be more vulnerable to the risk of hemorrhages in the event of a damaged blood vessel. After taking anti-coagulant it will therefore be necessary to be extra vigilant to avoid any cuts, even slight. Do not hesitate to consult your doctor in case of prolonged bleeding, or the presence of blood in the stool, urine or vomit.

The allergies

Less common, some treatments can cause an allergenic reaction. Symptoms to watch out for are pimples or redness.

NACOs, a monitored novelty

NOACs are a new category of anticoagulants, and are therefore the subject of more specific monitoring. Commissioned since the early 2000s, they have now proven their worth.

Given their double-edged action, this type of medication is not to be taken lightly, and needs to be discussed with your doctor. Especially since depending on the disease, there can easily be harmful interference between drugs, and therefore prohibit the taking of conventional anti-coagulants.

It will therefore be necessary to perform a blood test to prevent any unwanted interactions.