War
Warfarin
Warfarin (pronounced: /ˈwɔːrfərɪn/) is an anticoagulant medication. It was initially introduced in 1948 as a pesticide against rats and mice and is still used for this purpose, albeit in a different form. In the early 1950s, warfarin was found to be effective and relatively safe for preventing thrombosis and embolism (abnormal formation and migration of blood clots) in many disorders and situations.
Etymology
The name 'Warfarin' stems from its discovery at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), hence 'WARF-arin'. The substance was identified in the 1920s after an outbreak of a previously unrecognized cattle disease that caused bleeding and which was traced back to a batch of sweet clover that had gone mouldy.
Related Terms
- Anticoagulant: A drug that helps prevent blood clots from forming. Also known as a blood thinner.
- Thrombosis: The formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
- Embolism: A condition where an embolus (usually a blood clot but can also be fat, air, or clotted marrow) is created at a distant site and travels to block blood vessels at another location.
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: A non-profit organization that patents and licenses inventions made by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on War
- Wikipedia's article - War
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