ANTICOAGULATION

Course overview

THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN ANTICOAGULATION THERAPY, WITH HIGHLIGHTS ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES, INDICATIONS, AND PERIOPERATIVE IMPACT OF ANTICOAGULANTS. HEMOSTASIS INVOLVES AN INTERPLAY OF CLOTTING FACTORS AND THE VESSEL WALL. ABNORMALITIES OF THE VESSEL WALL AND THE CLOTTING FACTORS RESULT IN THE CONVERSION OF SOLUBLE FIBRINOGEN TO INSOLUBLE FIBRIN LEADING TO CLOT FORMATION (COAGULATION). DIFFERENT ANTICOAGULANT OPTIONS EXIST, AND PROVIDERS MAKE EXPERT DECISIONS ON WHICH ANTICOAGULANT TO USE BASED ON THE INDICATION, PATIENT PREFERENCE, THE EFFICACY OF INDIVIDUAL ANTICOAGULANTS IN SPECIFIC CLINICAL SETTINGS, AND THE GENERAL TREATMENT GUIDELINES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS DIFFERENT ANTICOAGULATION THERAPIES, THEIR INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING ANTICOAGULATION.