Aminocaproic Acid Videos

Amicar is the common name for the compound aminocaproic acid (6-aminohexanoic acid), a coagulant that is used medically to reduce or prevent bleeding. It interrupts the process of fibrinolysis, which is the breaking down of fibrin. Fibrin is a protein that forms part of the structure of blood clots. When blood vessels are damaged or cut, blood clots form to reduce blood loss and allow the healing process to begin. The natural process to break down blood clots, fibrinolysis, starts at the same time. The balance between these two processes limits clot formation so the clot is only as big as necessary and lasts only as long as necessary.

For patients that may, for a variety of reasons, have difficulty forming or maintaining blood clots, aminocaproic acid interrupts fibrinolysis and allows the clot to be maintained until it has served its purpose. Fibrinolytic bleeding may be associated with surgical complications following heart surgery, with hematological disorders such as aplastic anemia, with cirrhosis of the liver, or with some cancers. Aminocaproic acid is also used in conjunction with other drugs for the treatment of hemophilia and Von Willebrand Disease, genetic disorders that prevent or blood from clotting or slow the clotting process.