A Review of Common Approaches to Heparin Dosing

Abstract

The use of heparin has remained steady for the last 20 years. Significant advances have been made in the understanding of the pathogenesis of clotting disorders and their prevention. Despite these gains, our understanding of the most safe and effective approach to optimizing the dosing of heparin has lagged. With new insight into improvements in outcome related to rapid achievement of the therapeutic range, it has become apparent that the standard approach to heparin dosing is out of date. Individualized heparin dosing based on weight and computer-assisted dosing methods is superior for bringing patients into the desired therapeutic range more quickly, with less cost and better short- and long-term outcomes. Copyright © 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company