PMID- 11668426
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020305
LR  - 20060307
IS  - 0094-6176 (Print)
IS  - 0094-6176 (Linking)
VI  - 27
IP  - 5
DP  - 2001 Oct
TI  - Hirudins for prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism.
PG  - 543-9
AB  - At present, unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low molecular weight heparins 
      (LMWHs) are used extensively for the prophylaxis and treatment of venous 
      thromboembolism (VTE) and in most cases represent the agents of choice for these 
      indications. However, both UFH and LMWHs have biophysical limitations. Over the 
      past years, the progress in molecular biology and biotechnology has stimulated 
      growing interest in hirudin, the most potent known natural inhibitor of thrombin. 
      The biological properties of hirudin combined with its ready availability as 
      recombinant forms make this drug well-suited for use as an anticoagulant agent. 
      Available studies indicate that hirudin is significantly more effective for 
      prophylaxis of VTE after total hip replacement than is either UFH or enoxaparin. 
      Only limited data are available on its efficacy in the treatment of deep vein 
      thrombosis. Moreover, hirudin is effective in the management of patients with 
      heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) who require further anticoagulation. In 
      conclusion, hirudin is an antithrombotic drug of high quality and may represent 
      an attractive alternative to UFH and LMWHs in the management of VTE, and it is 
      among the agents of choice in patients with contraindications to heparin therapy 
      (such as HIT patients).
FAU - Prisco, D
AU  - Prisco D
AD  - Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Area, University of Florence, 
      Florence, Italy. d.prisco@dfc.unifi.it
FAU - Falciani, M
AU  - Falciani M
FAU - Antonucci, E
AU  - Antonucci E
FAU - Gensini, G F
AU  - Gensini GF
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
PL  - United States
TA  - Semin Thromb Hemost
JT  - Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis
JID - 0431155
RN  - 0 (Hirudins)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - *Hirudin Therapy
MH  - Hirudins/analogs & derivatives
MH  - Humans
MH  - Therapeutic Equivalency
MH  - Thromboembolism/*drug therapy/*prevention & control
MH  - Venous Thrombosis/*drug therapy/*prevention & control
RF  - 42
EDAT- 2001/10/23 10:00
MHDA- 2002/03/07 10:01
CRDT- 2001/10/23 10:00
PHST- 2001/10/23 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/03/07 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/10/23 10:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1055/s-2001-17965 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Semin Thromb Hemost. 2001 Oct;27(5):543-9. doi: 10.1055/s-2001-17965.