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When blood is exposed to air, it clots. Heparin allows the blood to come in direct contact with air without clotting.
People with high total cholesterol have about two times the risk for heart disease as people with ideal levels.
There are approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year.
When intravenous medications are involved in adverse drug events, their harmful effects may occur more rapidly, and be more severe than errors with oral medications. This is due to the direct administration into the bloodstream.
Elderly adults are at greatest risk of stroke and myocardial infarction and have the most to gain from prophylaxis. Patients ages 60 to 80 years with blood pressures above 160/90 mm Hg should benefit from antihypertensive treatment.