Basic Pharmacology of the Anticoagulant Drugs

BASIC PHARMACOLOGY OF THE ANTICOAGULANT DRUGS

The ideal anticoagulant drug would prevent pathologic thrombo-sis and limit reperfusion injury, yet allow a normal response to vascular injury and limit bleeding. Theoretically this could be accomplished by preservation of the TF-VIIa initiation phase of the clotting mechanism with attenuation of the secondary intrin-sic pathway propagation phase of clot development. At this time such a drug does not exist; all anticoagulants and fibrinolytic drugs have an increased bleeding risk as their principle toxicity.