Blood clots in the heart can be the result of a blood clot elsewhere in the body migrating to the heart, or due to an anatomical problem that disrupts blood flow in a portion of the heart, resulting in the clot forming within the heart chambers. Blood clots in the heart can be treated using a variety of medications.
Antiplatelet Agents
Antiplatelet agents are drugs which are useful for the treatment of cardiac blood clots, according a 2002 article in Circulation titled "Treatment of Blood Clots." These drugs work to make platelets less likely to stick together, which is a critical event for the formation of blood clots. As a result, these medications help prevent new blood clots from forming in the heart and also slow the growth of existing cardiac blood clots, allowing the body to naturally break down the clot. Some of these medications, including aspirin and clopidogrel, can be taken orally. Other examples include diclopidine and dipyriamidole.
Heparin
Heparin is a fast-acting anticoagulant medication that is given by injection. It works to block the action of proteins which are essential for a blood clot to form. Low-molecular-weight heparin works the same as regular heparin but has a reduced risk of causing complications. One advantage of heparin is that it works very quickly and is also rapidly eliminated from the body. Patients may need to receive a blood test, known as the APTT test, which measures how quickly the blood can coagulate. This test allows for doctors to determine the optimum dose of heparin.
Thrombolytic Agents
Thrombolytic agents, MedlinePlus explains, are medications that can be used to rapidly break down a dangerous clot. Unlike other treatments for a blood clot in the heart, these medications actively destroy blood clots. One of the most commonly prescribed thrombolytic agents is known as tissue plasminogen activator; other examples of this class of drug include streptokinase, urokinase and staphylokinase. These drugs can, however, cause major complications, as they are unable to distinguish between disease-causing blood clots and those which are protecting a gastric ulcer or a weak cerebral artery. As a result, these medications can cause internal bleeding, which can be fatal.
