A 90-year-old woman with a fractured neck of femur is receiving low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH). Which of the following statements regarding LMWH is true?
High-Yield Explanation
Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) are fragments of unfractionated standard heparin with mean molecular weights between 4000 and 64,000 d. They bind to and accelerate the activity of antithrombin III. LMWH has greater bioavailability, more effective anticoagulant effect, lower incidence of heparin- associated thrombocytopenia, and can be administered once daily.