30th August 2024

Anticoagulants

Anticoagulants are used for the prevention or treatment of thromboembolic events. The different types of anticoagulants are low molecular weight heparins, vitamin K antagonists (e.g., warfarin), direct oral anticoagulants (e.g., rivaroxaban), and direct thrombin inhibitors (e.g., argatroban). Their mechanisms of action are depicted in the image below.

Image Source: mage Source: Wikimedia Commons (2012). Classical blood coagulation, Licensed under a creative commons licence. Available for free at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Classical_blood_coagulation_pathway.png (Accessed 29 August 2024)