Why is heparin administered

Heparin will not dissolve blood clots that have already formed, but it may prevent the clots from becoming larger and causing more serious problems. Heparin is used to prevent or treat certain blood vessel, heart, and lung conditions. Heparin is also used to prevent blood clotting during open-heart surgery, bypass surgery, kidney dialysis, and blood transfusions. It is used in low doses to prevent the formation of blood clots in certain patients, especially those who must have certain types of surgery or who must remain in bed for a long time.

Heparin may also be used to diagnose and treat a serious blood condition called disseminated intravascular coagulation. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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If you will be injecting heparin yourself, follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use heparin exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Heparin solution comes in different strengths, and using the wrong strength may cause serious problems.

Before giving an injection of heparin, check the package label to make sure it is the strength of heparin solution that your doctor prescribed for you. If the strength of heparin is not correct do not use the heparin and call your doctor or pharmacist right away.

Your doctor may increase or decrease your dose during your heparin treatment. If you will be injecting heparin yourself, be sure you know how much medication you should use. Heparin is also sometimes used alone or in combination with aspirin to prevent pregnancy loss and other problems in pregnant women who have certain medical conditions and who have experienced these problems in their earlier pregnancies.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the risks of using this medication to treat your condition. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. If you will be injecting heparin yourself at home, talk to your doctor about what you should do if you forget to inject a dose. Heparin may cause osteoporosis condition in which the bones become weak and may break easily , especially in people who use the medication for a long time.

Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication. Heparin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while using this medication. If you will be injecting heparin at home, your healthcare provider will tell you how to store the medication.

Follow these directions carefully. Be sure to keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. Do not freeze heparin. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.

To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them.

The risk of blood clots increases significantly during the early stages of recovery, so it is common for surgery patients to receive routine doses of Heparin while in the hospital. Heparin is considered an important preventive measure during an inpatient stay after a procedure. It is often stopped when the patient is discharged from the hospital. Heparin is often given after surgery, particularly in patients who will remain hospitalized for several days after surgery, to prevent blood clots from forming.

Patients who are unable to get out of bed in the days following surgery are at greater risk of forming clots, making heparin a commonly used drug in intensive care units. For these patients, heparin is often given every eight to 12 hours around the clock, in an effort to reduce the risk of a life-threatening pulmonary embolism , or clot. Kidney function will often determine how often heparin can safely be given to prevent clots. Heparin is given subcutaneously, meaning it is injected into the body in an area such as the abdomen, and can also be given intravenously IV, through a vein.

There is no oral form of heparin, but some other blood thinners can be given in a tablet form. Lovenox , which is low molecular weight Heparin, is also frequently used after surgery and is used instead of Heparin, not with Heparin.

Lovenox is given as an injection. Heparin dosages vary widely from patient to patient and are dependent upon the use of the medication.

Small amounts can be added to IV fluids to keep an IV line flowing freely. Larger amounts may be injected several times a day to prevent clotting.

IV heparin is titrated, or adjusted, according to lab results, so the dose is unique to the patient if it is being given as a drip. The drip is often started based on ideal body weight and then adjusted based on the body's response to the medication approximately every six hours. This requires frequent blood draws to check how "thin" the patient's blood is periodically throughout the day, as overly thin blood can be dangerous and lead to unexpected bleeding.

In children, the injection dosage is based upon weight in kilograms. While the dosages are significantly smaller for most children than adults, they are also individualized to each pediatric patient. If the patient is on a heparin drip, the drip will be adjusted according to lab results in the same way adults would be. It is not uncommon for bruising to appear around heparin injection sites.

But small bruises are considered a normal side effect of administration and are not typical signs of a problem. A patient who spends an extended period of time in the hospital and receiving three heparin injections a day may end up with a belly covered in small bruises in varying stages of healing.