Clopidogrel bisulfate, also known as Plavix, is a drug used in order to retard the platelet aggregation of cells, which in turn prevents any sort of blood clotting inside of the body. It is necessary for this sort of medication to be administered during different kinds of surgeries and other medical practices. However, there are some side effects of the medication, and it can have an impact on certain present conditions, including pulmonary embolism.
Plumonary embolism is a medical condition where a blockage in an artery that transports blood directly from the heart into the lungs (this is the pulmonary artery). Typically, this occurs when a blood clot inside another area of the body, usually the legs or arms, breaks free and becomes lodged in the pulmonary artery. It is very important for pulmonary embolism to be treated quickly and effectively, as if the blockage continues to move forward and becomes blocked in the heart or the lungs, it can cause extremely serious health conditions, including death.
Plavix is essentially a specialized blood thinner that utilizes specific medications in order to prevent the clotting of the blood. According to Vein Experts, there are some very specific side effects that occur to someone, especially when they suffer from pulmonary embolism. First, bleeding from different areas of the body is a natural occurrence. This is because the blood is no longer able to clot, so instead of repairing damaged areas of the body, it is simply going to flow through it. Any sort of cut or scratch can bleed profusely and hemorrhages into the brain can occur, although this is not likely (only 1 percent of patients experience any sort of serious bleeding during the use of a blood thinner such as Plavix).
As Web MD points out, Plavix is often used in the event of pulmonary embolism in order to break up the former blood clot. The blood thinner is designed to break away the clot so it is able to flow smoothly like the rest of the other blood cells in the body. Generally though, before Plavix or another form of blood thinner is used, the doctor is going to investigate in order to determine exactly how large the former clot actually is.
If the clot is large enough, it is possible the blood thinner is not going to break the entire clot up in time before it reaches the heart or the lungs, which in turn would potentially cause a serious health condition. When the clot is excessively large, it might prove necessary to remove it through surgical means. However, most pulmonary embolisms are able to be corrected through the use of a blood thinner such as Plavix.
Plavix should not have much of a negative side effect on individuals who suffer from blood clots or other issues such as pulmonary embolism. Typically, the only possible side effect is bleeding throughout the body (typically internally), although this is not always a problem, as a very small percentage of individuals actually have this sort of an issue occur.