Blood clots are formed at the site of injuries and trauma to stop bleeding. Abnormal clots can also form when certain medications are taken. These clots can form in places where they aren't needed. When they form in deep veins, there is a chance that they can break off and travel through the blood stream. If this happens, they can block blood flow to vital organs and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Aspirin
Aspirin is one of several anti-platelet agents used to dissolve or prevent blood clots. Clopidogrel is also an anti-platelet agent. Anti-platelet agents given at the first signs of a heart attack can reduce the severity and decrease the damage that may be caused.
Adults who have had heart attacks in the past may be told to take one 80mg children's chewable aspirin every day. It's believed that taking a low dosage children's aspirin every day will decrease the recurrence of heart attacks.
Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are used to thin the blood to prevent the formation of blood clots. Coumadin, heparin and warfarin are types of anticoagulants. Coumadin and warfarin can be administered in tablet form, while heparin comes as an injection. A blood clot that forms in or near the lungs is called a pulmonary embolism. When these are found, an intravenous infusion of heparin is sometimes used to break the clots up quickly.
Pregnant women who are at risk for blood clots are usually given heparin. Warfarin may harm the fetus.
Frequent blood tests are required to monitor the level of anticoagulants in the blood stream.
Thrombolytic Agents
Thrombolytic agents are strong clot busters. These drugs are used intravenously to break up and dissolve large clots. Thrombolytic agents are so effective they cannot differentiate between good clots and bad clots. They will break up bad clots, but in the process can also break up clots that are covering wounds. They may also cause hemorrhages to occur in the brain. According to Dr. Samuel Goldhaber, the author of the Cardiology Patient Page, the possibility of this happening is about 1 percent. Because of the extra risk thrombolytics can create, they are only used in extreme situations.
Intravenous Devices
Intravenous devices are used in addition to anticoagulants and thrombolytic agents to break up clots and suction them from the blood vessels. If a blood clot occurs in or near the lungs, a catheter is inserted into a vein in the arm or groin area and threaded up to where the clot is located. Thrombolytic agents are used to break the clot up so that the catheter can remove them before they cause any damage.
In some cases, a vena cava filter may be put in place to catch blood clots before they have a chance to travel to the lungs.
