Influence of medication on blood coagulation | Blood Coagulation

Influence of medication on blood coagulation

Blood clotting can be influenced by various drugs. First of all, there are two large groups of drugs that are used specifically to influence coagulation. On the one hand there are anticoagulant drugs.

They are also called anticoagulants. These include vitamin K antagonists (Marcumar®), aspirin and heparins. They delay the onset of blood clotting by attaching to different parts of the coagulation system.

They are often used therapeutically to prevent blood clots. On the other hand, there are coagulation-promoting drugs such as thrombin and vitamin K. The latter promotes the production of coagulation factors in the liver. It only makes sense to administer them if there is no impairment in the production of the factors or in the absorption of the vitamin via the intestine. There are also a number of drugs that can interfere with blood clotting as a side effect.

Blood coagulation during pregnancy

Due to the hormonal changes a woman goes through during pregnancy, there may also be changes in blood clotting. Blood clotting is often increased, so pregnant women have an increased risk of developing blood clots. The presence of a blood clotting disorder in women of child-bearing age plays an important role, as the disease can often be considered as a cause of miscarriage.

Most miscarriages occur in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Often no clear cause can be found and they can occur more frequently in a woman. The causal relationship between a blood clotting disorder with an increased tendency to thrombosis and a miscarriage is not yet clear.

Doctors assume that the uterus is not supplied with blood properly due to the change in blood flow. This disturbance of the blood flow can then lead to rejection of the embryo after implantation of the egg. Since a blood clotting disorder is difficult to detect due to the absence of noticeable symptoms, a woman may suffer several miscarriages until the cause is identified.

Often it is certain factors such as Factor V and II that have a malfunction and lead to complications. Women in pregnancy or who wish to have children, who suffer from a congenital or acquired blood clotting disorder, should therefore be treated. If they wish to have children, it is recommended to start treatment with blood-thinning medication before pregnancy.

During pregnancy, selected medications are also administered. The anticoagulant heparin is often used here, as it cannot overcome the placenta. This means that it is not transferred from the mother’s bloodstream to that of the unborn child. With regard to therapy, good advice from the treating gynaecologist is necessary.