Chapter 34: Drugs Used in Coagulation Disorders

Chapter 34: Drugs Used in Coagulation Disorders

A 55-year-old lawyer is brought to the emergency department 2 h after the onset of severe chest pain during a stressful meeting. He has a history of poorly controlled mild hypertension and elevated blood cholesterol but does not smoke. ECG changes (ST elevation) and cardiac enzymes confirm the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The decision is made to attempt to open his occluded artery.

Which of the following drugs accelerates the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin?

(A) Aminocaproic acid

(B) Heparin

(C) Argatroban

(D) Reteplase

(E) Warfarin

Reteplase is the only thrombolytic drug listed. Heparin and warfarin are anticoagulants. Argatroban is a direct inhibitor of thrombin, and aminocaproic acid is an inhibitor, not an activator, of the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. The answer is D.

A 55-year-old lawyer is brought to the emergency department 2 h after the onset of severe chest pain during a stressful meeting. He has a history of poorly controlled mild hypertension and elevated blood cholesterol but does not smoke. ECG changes (ST elevation) and cardiac enzymes confirm the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The decision is made to attempt to open his occluded artery.

If a fibrinolytic drug is used for treatment of this man’s acute myocardial infarction, which of the following adverse drug effects is most likely to occur?

(A) Acute renal failure

(B) Development of antiplatelet antibodies

(C) Encephalitis secondary to liver dysfunction

(D) Hemorrhagic stroke

(E) Neutropenia

The most common serious adverse effect of the fibrinolytics is bleeding, especially in the cerebral circulation. The fibrinolytics do not usually have serious effects on the renal, hepatic, or hematologic systems. Unlike heparin, they do not induce antiplatelet antibodies. The answer is D.

A 55-year-old lawyer is brought to the emergency department 2 h after the onset of severe chest pain during a stressful meeting. He has a history of poorly controlled mild hypertension and elevated blood cholesterol but does not smoke. ECG changes (ST elevation) and cardiac enzymes confirm the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. The decision is made to attempt to open his occluded artery.

If this patient undergoes a percutaneous coronary angiography procedure and placement of a stent in a coronary blood vessel, he will need to be on dual antiplatelet therapy. eg, aspirin and clopidogrel for at least ...