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Anticoagulation in Pregnancy

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Cardiac Drugs in Pregnancy

Part of the book series: Current Cardiovascular Therapy ((CCT))

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Abstract

In pregnant women, anticoagulation is needed for women with mechanical valves, for women who are at increased risk of venous thrombembolism, those who have cardiomyopathies and severely impaired ejection fraction (EF), for high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation, those who have acute coronary syndromes and for some patients with congenital heart disease. The most frequently used drugs are Vitamin K antagonists, heparins, clopidogrel, and acetyl salicylic acid. They differ in the level of protection and risk they bear for the mother and her fetus and their precise use varies according to the specific indication. Both the indications and drugs have been discussed in the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology on the management of cardiovascular diseases in pregnancy and were recently reviewed in European Heart Journal ((Regitz-Zagrosek et al. 2011) and Current Problems in Cardiology, in press). The present chapter is based on these publications.

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Abbreviations

EF:

Ejection fraction

INR:

International normalized ratio

LMWH:

Low molecular weight heparin

UFH:

Unfractioned heparin

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charité, University Medicine Berlin, Institute of Gender in Medicine (GiM), Charité Campus Mitte, Hessische Str. 3-4, Berlin, 10115, Germany

    Vera Regitz-Zagrosek MD

  2. University Medicine Berlin, Center for Cardiovascular Research (CCR), Berlin, Germany

    Vera Regitz-Zagrosek MD

  3. Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Bad Krozingen, Bad Krozingen, Germany

    Christa Gohlke-Baerwolf MD

  4. Cardiology Department, AP-HP, Bichat Hospital, Paris, France

    Bernard Iung MD

  5. University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Bernard Iung MD

  6. Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Petronella G. Pieper MD

Authors
  1. Vera Regitz-Zagrosek MD
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  2. Christa Gohlke-Baerwolf MD
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  3. Bernard Iung MD
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  4. Petronella G. Pieper MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vera Regitz-Zagrosek MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

    Karen Sliwa

  2. Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

    John Anthony

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Regitz-Zagrosek, V., Gohlke-Baerwolf, C., Iung, B., Pieper, P.G. (2014). Anticoagulation in Pregnancy. In: Sliwa, K., Anthony, J. (eds) Cardiac Drugs in Pregnancy. Current Cardiovascular Therapy. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5472-3_5

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