Known brand names include No current brand name; marketed as generic heparin sodium injection.
An injectable blood thinner given IV or under the skin, mostly in the hospital. It prevents and treats blood clots and works within minutes when given IV.
Heparin attaches to antithrombin, a natural protein in the blood that switches off clotting factors. This changes the shape of antithrombin and makes it work much faster. The boosted antithrombin blocks key clotting factors, mainly factor Xa and thrombin, which the blood needs to build a clot. It also blocks a factor that turns a loose clot into a firm one.
Given into a vein, it starts working right away, and the body clears half of it in 0.5 to 2 hours, depending on the dose. It keeps new clots from forming and existing ones from growing, but it does not dissolve a clot that is already there. Because it blocks clotting, bleeding is its main danger and can happen almost anywhere in the body. It can also cause an immune reaction called HIT that lowers the platelet count and can, in turn, cause new clots in veins and arteries.
Heparin is a blood thinner that prevents and treats blood clots in the veins and clots that travel to the lungs. It also prevents and treats clots linked to atrial fibrillation and clots that block arteries in the arms or legs. It treats disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder in which clotting uses up the blood's clotting factors. The goal is to stop new clots from forming and keep existing ones from growing.
It is given into a vein or as a shot deep under the skin, by a nurse or, for some people, by themselves at home. It keeps blood from clotting during heart and artery surgery, dialysis, blood transfusions, and when blood passes through a machine outside the body. It is not given into a muscle. Newborns and infants need a version made without the preservative benzyl alcohol.
Bleeding and bruising are the most common problems, along with irritation where it is injected and a drop in platelets. The label treats major bleeding as dangerous, as well as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, an immune reaction that lowers platelets and can cause new clots. It also warns about high potassium, allergic reactions, and a breathing problem in newborns from a preservative in some vials.