Haemorrhagic effect of enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin. Comparison with unfractionated heparin in humans

Abstract

The haemorrhagic effects of unfractionated heparin (UFH) and the low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) enoxaparin were investigated and compared in the gastric mucosa (haemorrhage induced by biopsy) and skin (haemorrhage induced by Simplate) of 12 healthy volunteers. Administration of UFH and LMWH (given in a dose of 75 anti-Xa U/kg intravenously) increased median gastric bleeding time (3.5 min) and geometric mean blood loss (11.5 microliters) to 19 min (p = 0.00003) and 54.1 microliters (p = 0.0021) after UFH and to 13 min (p = 0.008) and 29.0 microliters (p = 0.275) after LMWH. Median skin bleeding time (4.25 min) increased to 6.0 min after UFH (p = 0.003) and to 6.75 min after LMWH (p = 0.0008). Mean heparin activity in plasma was 20% higher after LMWH than after UFH. The calculated gastric bleeding time to heparin activity ratio was significantly lower for LMWH than for UFH (p < 0.05).