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Updated: Sep 26, 2025
Rapid Point-of-Care Assay of Enoxaparin Anticoagulant Efficacy in Whole Blood
Published on: October 12, 2012
Investigating the experience of parents who have given their infants enoxaparin at home
H Gilmore1, S Jones2, P Monagle3
1Department of Clinical Haematology, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Managing infant enoxaparin therapy is traumatic for parents. Structured educational programs and resources are vital for improving infant enoxaparin treatment safety and family quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric anticoagulation management
- Family-centered care in pediatrics
Background:
- Enoxaparin is a critical anticoagulant for infant thrombosis treatment.
- Home administration of enoxaparin by parents presents significant challenges.
- Limited research exists on educational needs for enoxaparin therapy in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the educational needs of parents managing infant enoxaparin therapy post-discharge.
- To inform the development of optimized care strategies and educational resources.
- To enhance patient safety and treatment outcomes for infants receiving enoxaparin.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive methodology utilized.
- Focus groups conducted to gather in-depth parental experiences.
- Rich, descriptive data generated on caregiving challenges.
Main Results:
- Parental experiences with enoxaparin management were found to be traumatizing.
- Parents indicated a need for more structured educational support.
- Findings highlight potential benefits of formal educational programs.
Conclusions:
- Enoxaparin therapy in infants can be a distressing experience for families.
- Accessible educational resources and consistent medical team communication are essential.
- Improved educational interventions can enhance the care and well-being of infants and families.
Introduction:
Enoxaparin is a common anticoagulant used in infants for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. When administered with the purpose of treating a thrombosis, the duration of treatment is six to twelve weeks. Enoxaparin must be injected subcutaneously, either by direct injection or via an indwelling subcutaneous catheter (Insuflon™). Once discharged from hospital, parents/caregivers of infants and small children take responsibility for the safe preparation and administration of the enoxaparin which can be difficult and confronting. Whilst there is documented evidence about the benefits of targeted education for warfarin anticoagulation and the impact this has on the quality of life for children and their families, this has not been investigated in a cohort of children requiring enoxaparin anticoagulation. We therefore explored the educational needs of parents whose infants require enoxaparin anticoagulation after discharge to inform future practice to optimise delivery of care as well as improve patient safety and outcomes.
Materials & Methods:
A qualitative, descriptive methodology was employed using focus groups to generate rich descriptive data.
Results:
Our results show that parents were traumatised by the process of managing their infant's enoxaparin, and that they may benefit from a formal, more structured educational program to facilitate this treatment in the future.
Conclusion:
It is recognised that enoxaparin therapy in infants may be a traumatic experience for parents and caregivers. The availability of an educational resource for families to refer to once discharged, as well as ongoing communication with the treating medical team is vital.
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