Heparin

Heparin
Clinical data
Pronunciation/ˈhɛpərɪn/ HEP-ər-in
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		Intravenous therapy, subcutaneous injection
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • AU: S4 (Prescription only)[1]
  • US: ℞-only
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
BioavailabilityErratic
MetabolismLiver
Elimination half-life1.5 hours
ExcretionUrine[2]
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.029.698 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC12H19NO20S3
Molar mass593.45 g·mol−1
  • InChI=1S/C26H41NO34S4/c1-4(28)27-7-9(30)8(29)6(2-52-63(43,44)45)53-24(7)56-15-10(31)11(32)25(58-19(15)21(36)37)55-13-5(3-62(40,41)42)14(60-64(46,47)48)26(59-22(13)38)57-16-12(33)17(61-65(49,50)51)23(39)54-18(16)20(34)35/h5-19,22-26,29-33,38-39H,2-3H2,1H3,(H,27,28)(H,34,35)(H,36,37)(H,40,41,42)(H,43,44,45)(H,46,47,48)(H,49,50,51)/t5-,6+,7+,8+,9+,10+,11+,12-,13-,14+,15-,16-,17+,18+,19-,22-,23?,24+,25+,26-/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:ZFGMDIBRIDKWMY-PASTXAENSA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Heparin, also known as unfractionated heparin (UFH), is a medication and naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan.[3][4] Heparin is a blood anticoagulant that increases the activity of antithrombin.[5] It is used in the treatment of heart attacks and unstable angina.[3] It can be given intravenously or by injection under the skin.[3] Its anticoagulant properties make it useful to prevent blood clotting in blood specimen test tubes and kidney dialysis machines.[4][6]

Common side effects include bleeding, pain at the injection site, and low blood platelets.[3] Serious side effects include heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.[3] Greater care is needed in those with poor kidney function.[3]

Heparin is contraindicated for suspected cases of vaccine-induced pro-thrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) secondary to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, as heparin may further increase the risk of bleeding in an anti-PF4/heparin complex autoimmune manner, in favor of alternative anticoagulant medications (such as argatroban or danaparoid).[7][8][9]

Heparin appears to be relatively safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.[10] Heparin is produced by basophils and mast cells in all mammals.[11]

The discovery of heparin was announced in 1916.[12] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[13] A fractionated version of heparin, known as low molecular weight heparin, is also available.[14]

  1. ^ a b "Heparin Interpharma APMDS". Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Heparin". 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Heparin Sodium". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Heparin (Mucous) Injection BP – Summary of Product Characteristics". Electronic Medicines Compendium. September 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ Alquwaizani M, Buckley L, Adams C, Fanikos J (June 2013). "Anticoagulants: A Review of the Pharmacology, Dosing, and Complications". Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports. 1 (2): 83–97. doi:10.1007/s40138-013-0014-6. PMC 3654192. PMID 23687625.
  6. ^ McClatchey KD (2002). Clinical Laboratory Medicine. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 662. ISBN 978-0-683-30751-1. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  7. ^ "AstraZeneca COVID-19-Vakzine Umgang mit dem Risiko von Gerinnungskomplikationen" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  8. ^ Greinacher A, Thiele T, Warkentin TE, Weisser K, Kyrle PA, Eichinger S (June 2021). "Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 Vaccination". The New England Journal of Medicine. 384 (22): 2092–2101. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2104840. PMC 8095372. PMID 33835769.
  9. ^ Pai M, Grill A, Ivers N (26 March 2021). "Vaccine-Induced Prothrombotic Immune Thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) Following AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccination" (PDF). The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. doi:10.47326/ocsat.2021.02.17.1.0. S2CID 233663558. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "Heparin Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Warnings". drugs.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  11. ^ Guyton AC, Hall JE (2006). Textbook of Medical Physiology. Elsevier Saunders. p. 464. ISBN 978-0-7216-0240-0.
  12. ^ Li JL, Corey EJ (2013). Drug Discovery: Practices, Processes, and Perspectives. John Wiley & Sons. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-118-35446-9. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  13. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  14. ^ Rietschel RL, Fowler JF, Fisher AA (2008). Fisher's Contact Dermatitis. PMPH-USA. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-55009-378-0. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.