Running header: HEPARIN DRIPS

Pharmacological intervention of PE by heparin drips

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Overview of the method

Heparin drips is an anticoagulant which is utilized to avoid complications which are

existing or pending blood clots. Blood clots occur when trauma happens in the tissue; clots

formation usually leads to blood loss prevention. However, lumps that are found inside the

vessels due to poor circulation may result in medical disorders. The clots typically lead to blood

not circulating to vital body organs, including the brain, heart, and kidneys. The lumps which

break away and travel to the brain usually result in pulmonary embolus and stroke.

Heparin, as an injectable drug, prevents the potential of the blood to clot. It is used in

medical services to avoid blood clots based complications. The method works by inactivating an

enzyme called thrombin. The protein is responsible for causing blood clots. The technique is

mainly utilized to prevent clots in situations of surgery and after an experienced heart attack.

The infusion rates of heparin circulate in units per hour; they are also adjusted according

to how the blood of the patient usually works. The blood infusion rates are used to determine the

time it may take for the blood to clot. The method is called partial thromboplastin time (PPT).

How heparin treats pulmonary embolism

Heparin is a fast-acting and robust anticoagulant. It is given in hospitals by five small

needles inserted into the veins. Therapeutic anticoagulation is immediately initiated to the

patients’ who may be suspected of suffering from a pulmonary embolism and deep venous

thrombosis. The heparin, together with anticoagulation therapy, helps reduce the rate of mortality

from thirty to ten percent. However, anticoagulation therapy with heparin alone does not

guarantee success in this initiative. Pulmonary embolism may occur again, even after adequate

and complete heparin anticoagulation (Hajouli, 2020). Chronic anticoagulation helps in

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preventing and managing any relapse of pulmonary embolism from preceding heparinization.

Heparin is administered to avoid and slow down the work rate of antithrombin III. The process

leads to low or complete prevention of DVT. Besides, it also decreases the frequency and size of

pulmonary embolism.

For all patients with new clots, the administration of heparin is usually accompanied by

another anticoagulant known as warfarin. Warfarin is pills that are taken from home by patients

aimed at long term anticoagulation. After by given a time of five days for warfarin to take effect,

patients are allowed to take both heparin and warfarin. Heparin is later stopped after the

complete affectivity of warfarin (Schwartz et al., 2015). The patient is subsequently allowed to

leave the hospital and go home.

The main advantage of utilizing heparin in treating pulmonary embolism is that the

method is very cheap. Besides, the plan is very fast since blood can be anticoagulated quickly.

However, the main disadvantages of heparin drips are that the method demands frequent blood

tests (Hourmouzis et al., 2015). The blood tests are relevant since they help check the levels of

anticoagulation and hospitalization for the five drugs. Furthermore, heparin has a severe side

effect of bleeding, headaches, cold symptoms, and skin rashes.

What a nurse should be looking for during treatment

Heparin is a high-risk drug that should be significantly administered with care. Besides,

there should be strict dosing and monitoring when the method is implemented intravenously and

directly to the bloodstream. Nurses and medical organizations should be looking forward to

having protocols that are aimed at managing the drips. The nurse should also administer the dose

as per the patient's weight and levels of fat, which affect the working ways of heparin. The
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treatments should also be based on indications. A higher dose should be given for an existing

clot. On the other hand, a lower dose should only be administered for prevention and non-

existing clots.

References
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Sharifi, M., Bay, C., Schwartz, F., & Skrocki, L. (2014). Safe‐dose thrombolysis plus

rivaroxaban for moderate and severe pulmonary embolism: Drip, drug, and discharge.

Clinical cardiology, 37(2), 78-82.

Hajouli, S. (2020). Massive Fatal Pulmonary Embolism While on Therapeutic Heparin Drip.

Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports, 8, 2324709620914787.

Hourmouzis, Z., Bhalla, M. C., Frey, J. A., & Jwayyed, S. (2015). Pulmonary embolism and

heparin-induced thrombocytopenia successfully treated with tissue plasminogen activator

and argatroban—the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 33(5), 739-e5.