Thrombolytic Medication

By James Witherspoon
Perhaps one of the most useful additions to modern medicine, thrombolytics are a class of drug that is used to break apart blood clots that could otherwise prove life-threatening. Using these medications can provide the necessary pharmaceutical assistance to bust apart blood clots in the body, preventing extreme damages like a heart attack or certain types of stroke. As, in both of these cases, a clot can restrict blood flow to absolutely vital systems, causing potentially permanent damage or weakening that can lead to further harm, thrombolytics are an invaluable medical tool.

While these drugs are extremely useful in saving the lives of patients, they can also present serious risks for those who are either treated improperly or those who react poorly to the medication. Naturally, there are some patients who simply will not react to the presence of thrombolytics very well, causing them to suffer embolisms, strokes, or other blood problems.

The occurrence of a stroke can be a potential side-effect of thrombolytics, although the hemorrhaging associated with this resultant stroke may actually occur anywhere these drugs are applied locally. As thrombolytics may destroy a blood clot, which causes what is known as an ischemic stroke, they may also trigger a hemorrhagic stroke, which is the second major cause for brain damage.

One serious concern for anyone in thrombolytic therapy is past use. It is possible that, due to previous treatments, a patient builds up an allergy to thrombolytics, causing adverse side-effects when they are re-introduced. If this is the case, the physician needs to know and recognize that thrombolytic treatment may not be the wisest course of treatment. Considering that the inflammation associated with allergies could make later treatment more delicate, this should be something that healthcare practitioners take serious note of.