title: [Oral anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists].
abstract: Coumarins are broadly employed in clinical practice and should therefore belong to the group of 'well known' drugs. The present review will deal with some concepts of anticoagulant therapy: the role of vitamin K in the synthesis of functional coagulation factors, some clinically relevant pharmacokinetic aspects of coumarins, the management of oral anticoagulant therapy with special emphasis on the laboratory monitoring, and the most frequent complication, bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Hämatologisches Zentrallabor der Universität, Inselspital, Bern. lorenzo.alberio@insel.ch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alberio
mesh_terms: D000074:Acenocoumarol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000502:physiology; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D003374:Coumarins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D010644:Phenprocoumon / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D003374:Coumarins; D014812:Vitamin K; D000074:Acenocoumarol; D010644:Phenprocoumon