Direct oral anticoagulant Health Dictionary

Direct Oral Anticoagulant: From 1 Different Sources


(DOAC) a relatively recently introduced class of drugs that reduce coagulation of the blood by inhibition of one of the coagulation factors (Factor Xa). They may be used as an alternative to *warfarin in many (but not all) cases, their advantage being that regular blood tests are not required for dose adjustment. Examples include, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Oral

Relating to the mouth. The area with the mouth opening.... oral

Anticoagulant

Inhibiting the clotting of blood ... anticoagulant

Nhs Direct

A government-initiated, countrywide, telephone-based helpline which enables members of the public with a potential emergency or inquiry about health to receive counselling over the telephone. They can then be advised on the most appropriate course of action: perhaps an urgent visit to the nearest Accident & Emergency department, a non-urgent visit to the general practitioner, or even self-medication. The intention is to reduce the high workloads of GPs and A&E departments without endangering patients. NHS Direct is expected to be enhanced to provide:

links to community pharmacies and social services.

access to NHS Direct information via the Internet and information points in public sites.

publication of a guide on health care for dispatch to callers.... nhs direct

Oral Contraceptive

A contraceptive taken by mouth (see CONTRACEPTION). It comprises one or more synthetic female hormones, usually an oestrogen (see OESTROGENS), which blocks normal OVULATION, and a progestogen which in?uences the PITUITARY GLAND and thus blocks normal control of the woman’s menstrual cycle (see MENSTRUATION). Progestogens also make the uterus less congenial for the fertilisation of an ovum by the sperm.... oral contraceptive

Oral Surgery

A branch of surgery that treats deformities, injuries or diseases of the TEETH and JAW, as well as other areas of the face and mouth. Surgeons doing this work are usually quali?ed dentists who have done further training in oral and maxillofacial surgery.... oral surgery

Oral Rehydration Therapy

See rehydration therapy.... oral rehydration therapy

Anticoagulants

Anticoagulants are drugs which inhibit COAGULATION of the blood. They are used to prevent and treat abnormal clotting of the blood, to treat THROMBOSIS, and sometimes to prevent or treat STROKE or TRANSIENT ISCHAEMIC ATTACKS OR EPISODES (TIA, TIE). Anticoagulant drugs are also prescribed preventively in major surgery to stop abnormal clotting from occurring; HAEMODIALYSIS is another procedure during which these drugs are used. Anticoagulants are also prescribed to prevent thrombi (clots) forming on prosthetic heart valves after heart surgery.

The drugs are much more e?ective in the treatment and prevention of venous clotting – for example, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), see under VEINS, DISEASES OF – than in preventing thrombosis formation in arteries with their fast-?owing blood in which thrombi contain little ?brin (against which the anticoagulants work) and many PLATELETS.

The main anticoagulants now in use are the natural agent HEPARIN (a quick-acting variety and a low-molecular-weight long-acting type); synthetic oral anticoagulants such as WARFARIN and the less-often-used acenocoumarol and PHENINDIONE; and antiplatelet compounds such as ASPIRIN, clopidogrel dipyridamole and ticlopidines. Fondaparinux is an extract of heparin which can be given once daily by injection; ximelagatran, an inhibitor of thrombin, is being trialled as the ?rst new oral anticoagulant since heparin.

Patients taking anticoagulants need careful medical monitoring and they should carry an Anticoagulant Card with instructions about the use of whatever drug they may be receiving – essential information should the individual require treatment for other medical conditions as well as for thrombosis.... anticoagulants

Direct Cost

See “cost”.... direct cost

Direct Insult

Viral, bacterial and fungal PNEUMONIA

Lung trauma or contusion

Inhalation of toxic gases or smoke

ASPIRATION of gastric contents

Near-drowning... direct insult

Direct Patient Care

Any activities by a health professional involving direct interaction, treatment, administration of medications or other therapy or involvement with a patient.... direct patient care

Oral And Maxillo-facial Surgeons

Perform surgery to the mouth and face. This not only includes removal of buried teeth but also treatment for fractured facial bones, removal of cancers and the repair of missing tissue, and the cosmetic restoration of facial anomalies such as CLEFT PALATE or large or small jaws.... oral and maxillo-facial surgeons

Oral Health

The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.... oral health

Oral Rehydration Therapy (ort)

This is the essential initial treatment for DIARRHOEA, and is particularly valuable for dehydrated children in developing countries ill with diseases such as CHOLERA. A litre of water containing one teaspoonful of salt and eight of sugar, taken by mouth, is readily absorbed. It replaces salts and water lost because of the diarrhoea and usually no other treatment is required.

In developed countries ORT is useful in treating gastroenteritis. There are a number of proprietary preparations, often dispensed as ?avoured sachets, including Dioralyte® and Rehydrate®.... oral rehydration therapy (ort)

Oral Administration

Giving a remedy by mouth. Such a route leads to its passage through the mucous membrane lining the intestines and from there into the bloodstream. ... oral administration

Anticoagulant Drugs

A group of drugs used to treat and prevent abnormal blood clotting, to treat thrombosis, and to prevent and treat stroke and transient ischaemic attack. Anticoagulant drugs are also given to prevent abnormal blood clotting after major surgery (especially heart-valve replacement) or during haemodialysis (see dialysis). The most common anticoagulants are heparin and the newer heparin-derived drugs, such as tinzaparin, all of which have to be given by injection, and warfarin, which is taken orally.

Excessive doses of anticoagulant drugs increase the risk of unwanted bleeding, and regular monitoring is needed.... anticoagulant drugs

Hygiene, Oral

See oral hygiene.... hygiene, oral

Hypoglycaemics, Oral

A group of antidiabetic drugs that are used to lower blood glucose.

Too high a dose may provoke the onset of hypoglycaemia.... hypoglycaemics, oral

Oral Contraceptives

A group of oral drug preparations containing one or more synthetic female sex hormones, taken by women in a monthly cycle to prevent pregnancy. “The pill” commonly refers to the combined or the phased pill, which both contain an oestrogen drug and a progestogen drug, and the minipill, which contains only a progestogen. Oestrogen pills include ethinylestradiol; progestogens include levonorgestrel and norethisterone. When used correctly, the number of pregnancies among women using oral contraceptives for one year is less than 1 per cent. Actual failure rates may be 4 times higher, particularly for the minipill, which has to be taken at precisely the same time each day.

Combined and phased pills increase oestrogen and progesterone levels. This interferes with the production of two hormones, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which in turn prevents ovulation. The minipill works mainly by making the mucus lining of the cervix too thick to be penetrated by sperm.

Oestrogen-containing pills offer protection against uterine and ovarian cancer, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, and irondeficiency anaemia. They also tend to make menstrual periods regular, lighter, and relatively pain-free. Possible side effects include nausea, weight gain, depression, swollen breasts, reduced sex drive, increased appetite, leg and abdominal cramps, headaches, and dizziness. More seriously, there is a risk of thrombosis causing a stroke or a pulmonary embolism. These pills may also aggravate heart disease or cause hypertension, gallstones, jaundice, and, very rarely, liver cancer. All oral contraceptives can cause bleeding between periods, especially the minipill. Other possible adverse effects of the minipill include irregular periods, ectopic pregnancy, and ovarian cysts. There may be a slightly increased long-term risk of breast cancer for women taking the combined pill.

Oestrogen-based pills should generally be avoided in women with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, liver disease, migraine, otosclerosis, or who are at increased risk of a thrombosis. They are not usually prescribed to a woman with a personal or family history of heart or circulatory disorders, or who suffers from unexplained vaginal bleeding. The minipill or a lowoestrogen pill may be used by women who should avoid oestrogens. Combined or phased pills may interfere with milk production and should not be taken during breast-feeding. Certain drugs may impair the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. (See also contraception.) ... oral contraceptives

Oral Hygiene

Measures to keep the mouth and teeth clean and reduce the risk of tooth decay (see caries, dental), gingivitis and other gum disorders, and halitosis. Oral hygiene includes regular, thorough toothbrushing and flossing (see floss, dental) to remove plaque. Disclosing agents help to reveal build-up of plaque. Dentures are brushed on all surfaces and soaked in cleansing solution.

Professional treatment to remove calculus and stubborn plaque by scaling and polishing is usually carried out by a dentist or dental hygienist during a routine check-up.

In periodontal disease, treatment may be needed more often.... oral hygiene

Rehydration, Oral

See rehydration therapy.... rehydration, oral

Lupus Anticoagulant

one of several autoantibodies that can cause *antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). Despite the name, the antibody behaves as a coagulant, increasing the risk of thrombosis. It can be found in 50% of patients with APS.... lupus anticoagulant

Oral Cavity

the mouth.... oral cavity

Oral Hypoglycaemic Drug

(oral antihyperglycaemic drug) one of the group of drugs that reduce the level of glucose in the blood and are taken by mouth for the treatment of type 2 *diabetes mellitus. They include the *sulphonylurea group (e.g. glibenclamide, gliclazide), metformin (a *biguanide), *alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, *meglitinides, *thiazolidinediones, *DPP-IV inhibitors, and *SGLT-2 inhibitors.... oral hypoglycaemic drug

Oral Medicine

see stomatology.... oral medicine

Oral Rehabilitation

the procedure of rebuilding a dentition that has been mutilated as a result of disease, wear, or trauma.... oral rehabilitation

Trans-oral Robotic Surgery

(TORS) a form of robot-assisted surgery used for treating difficult-to-access tumours of the pharynx and larynx.... trans-oral robotic surgery



Recent Searches