Question

Give pharmacological classification of coagulants( with examples )

Answer 1

In biology, coagulants are substances that causes blood to coagulate or to thicken to such a degree that it is not able to flow through the blood vessels. Mostly, fibrinolytics work as coagulants. Heparin antagonist drugs are also used as blood coagulants.

Coagulation of blood involves activation, adhesion and aggregation of platelets along with deposition and maturation of fibrin. Coagulation begins after an injury to the blood vessel damages the endothelium lining of the blood.

Substances which help in coagulation of blood are-

* Phytonadione [ Phylloquinone] -This includes Vit K, obtained from plants.

* Fibrinogen - used in hemophilia or in people with antihemophilic globulin deficiency and acute afibrinogenemic states

* Antihemophilic factor - this is highly effective and is a concentrated human AHG preparation.

* Desmopressin - it releases factor VIII and Willebrand's factor from vascular endothilium

* Adrenochrome monosemicarbazone - it reduces capillary fragility, control oozing from raw surfaces and prevents microvessel bleeding

* Rutin - it is a plant glycoside which reduces capillary bleeding. It is used in compination with Vit C.

* E thamsylate - used to prevent and treat capillary bleeding in menorrhagia, epistaxis, malena, etc.

Some coagulants are used to control bleeding from a local and approachable site -

Examples are - fibrin, gelatin, oxidized cellulose, thrombin, vasoconstrictors like 0.1% adrenalin soaked in sterile cotton gauze and astringents like tannic acid or metallic salts.

So, pharmacological coagulants can be derived from plant sources, extracted from blood plasma or made from chemicals.