Aspirin is an anti-platelet drug, NOT a “blood thinner”.

• Anticoagulant- (Coumadin/ Warfarin) any agent that prevents, suppresses, delays or nullifies, either in vitro or in vivo, activation of the blood coagulation cascade
• Antiplatelet drug- agent that acts selectively on the platelet to inh8ibit platelet aggregation and formation of a platelet thrombus (so-called white thrombus).
• Antithrombotic drug- agent that prevents formation of an intravascular thrombus
• Thrombus- aggregation of blood factors, predominantly platelets and fibrin, with entrapment of cellular elements causing vascular obstruction; often distinguished from simple coagulation or clot formation.
• Embolism- sudden blocking of an artery by a blood clot or foreign material which arrives to its site of lodgment by blood flow (e.g., pulmonary embolism caused by formation of a clot in a distal vein, and brought to the pulmonary circulation resulting in obstruction of pulmonary vasculature).
• Hemostatic agent- an agent that arrests the flow of blood; either through physiological properties such as vasoconstriction and coagulation or by mechanical means (pressure packs, sutures, etc.)
• Hemorrhage- escape of blood from blood vessel. Petechiae= very small; Purpura= up to 1 cm; Ecchymoses= larger.
• Hematoma- accumulation of blood within tissue.
• Fibrinolytic- induces fibrinogenolysis, by enzyme action the dissolution or inactivation of fibrinogen in the blood (popularly known as “clot busters”)… used almost exclusively in hospitals

Category: Medical Subject Notes , Pharmacology Notes