background necrosis of skin flaps is considered as an important complication in reconstructive surgery. we conducted an experimental study to investigate the efficacy of low-molecular weight heparin, clopidogrel and their combination to improve the flap survival. methods forty male, adult sprague-dawlay rats were divided randomly into 4 groups. standard rectangular, distally based dorsal random...

BACKGROUND When warfarin is interrupted for surgery, low-molecular-weight heparin is often used as bridging therapy. However, this practice has never been evaluated in a large prospective study. This study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of bridging therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin initiated out of hospital. METHODS AND RESULTS This was a prospective, multicenter, sing...

BACKGROUND Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is caused by antibody formation to heparin-platelet factor 4 complexes. It typically develops 5 to 14 days after the initiation of heparin, but it can occur up to 3 weeks after the patient stops taking it. Early recognition by monitoring platelet counts during heparin therapy can decrease associated mortality and morbidity. METHODS A case is describ...

A formal statistical overview of all truly randomised trials was undertaken to determine whether antithrombotic therapy is effective and safe in the early treatment of patients with acute stroke. There were 15 completed randomised controlled trials of the value of early antithrombotic treatment in patients with acute stroke. The regimes tested in acute presumed or confirmed ischaemic stroke wer...

Background: The efficacy of aspirin combined with low molecular weight heparin in the treatment of habitual abortion is controversial. The efficacy of aspirin combined with low molecular weight heparin versus aspirin alone for habitual abortion is still unclear. Aim: The purpose is to compare the efficacy of low molecular weight heparin therapy versus aspirin monotherapy for habitual abortion. ...

Laboratory monitoring is widely recommended to measure the anticoagulant effect of unfractionated heparin and to adjust the dose to maintain levels in the target therapeutic range. The most widely used laboratory assay for monitoring unfractionated heparin therapy is the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). A fixed therapeutic range for the aPTT of 1.5 to 2.5 times the control value ha...

Although it is well established that long-term heparin therapy causes osteoporosis, it is unknown whether heparin-induced bone loss is reversible when heparin treatment is stopped. To address this question, we randomized rats to once daily subcutaneous injections of either unfractionated heparin (1.0 U/g or 0.5 U/g) or saline for 28 days and then followed the rats for an additional 28 days off ...

BACKGROUND The application of a heparin dosing nomogram in the treatment of patients with venous thromboembolism resulted in improvement of heparin therapy in clinical research settings. In 1992 a heparin nomogram was introduced in our hospital, which is a community hospital where anticoagulant therapy is supervised by the attending physicians. We studied whether comparable improvements were ac...

OBJECTIVES This report describes our experience with the use of an anticoagulant regimen of adjusted doses of subcutaneous heparin during pregnancy in women with cardiac valve prostheses. BACKGROUND Gravid patients with prosthetic heart valves require long-term anticoagulant therapy. To avoid the increased incidence of fetal morbidity and mortality associated with the use of coumarin agents i...

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia represents a serious side effect of heparin therapy. Immune-mediated platelet activation results in thrombocytopenia, endothelial thrombin release and development of thrombosis, mainly venous. We report the case of a man with a history of coronary artery disease and recent stent implantation. This patient developed severe heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type II...