Question

Describe the pharmacological treatments detailing how the medications alter the underlying disease process ( ie less focus on dosages and regimes and more focus on what the drug does and how that resolves the pathophysiology). Disease is deep vein thrombosis (250 words)

Answer 1

Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot formation occurs in vein located deep inside the body. The clot blocks a vein, preventing blood from properly circulating in the body. Deep vein thrombosis generally form in thigh or lower leg, but can also form in other areas of the body. The reasons for deep vein thrombosis may include injury (damage to blood vessels), surgery leading to damage of blood vessels, reduced mobility and certain medications.

Pharmacological Treatment: Generally treatment started with anticoagulants either orally (warfarin) or parenterally (heparin). These drugs thin the blood and make harder the blood to clot by preventing the formation of various blood clotting factors. Anticogulants also keeps existing clots as small as possible and decreases the chance of developing more clots.

In case of severe deep vein thrombosis where anticoagulants are not sufficient, thrombolytic drugs are used. Thrombolytic drugs dissolve blood clots by activating plasminogen, which forms a cleaved product called plasmin. Plasmin is a proteolytic enzyme that is capable of breaking cross-links between fibrin molecules, which provide the structural integrity of blood clots.

Compression stocking is also beneeficbe if you're at high risk of deep vein thrombosis. wearing compression stockings just below or right above the knee prevent swelling and might lower the chance of developing clots.

Filters and surgery are the last option of treatment. In which a filter is installed in your body in order to prevent blood clot to rich the lungs. Blood clot can also be removed by surgery.