Phytomenadione

Phytomenadione, also called vitamin K₁, is a fat-soluble vitamin required to activate several proteins involved in blood coagulation and other processes.

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Vitamin K cycle: A biochemical cycle that regenerates active vitamin K after it helps modify proteins. Phytomenadione supplies the vitamin K consumed during this cycle.
Vitamin K deficiency: A state in which insufficient vitamin K impairs activation of vitamin K-dependent proteins. Phytomenadione is used to restore vitamin K when deficiency causes bleeding risk.
Vitamin K: A family of fat-soluble compounds required for the function of several proteins. Phytomenadione is one member of this vitamin family.
Menadione: A synthetic vitamin K₃ compound that lacks the long side chain of phylloquinone and menaquinones. It is a different vitamin K form, with distinct safety and clinical properties.
Gamma-carboxylation: An enzymatic modification that adds a carboxyl group to glutamate residues in proteins. This modification lets vitamin K-dependent clotting proteins bind calcium.
Vitamin K antagonist reversal: Treatment that counteracts anticoagulation caused by drugs that inhibit vitamin K recycling. Phytomenadione restores substrate for clotting-protein activation after antagonist exposure.
Phylloquinone: The naturally occurring vitamin K₁ form found chiefly in green leafy plants. Phytomenadione is the pharmaceutical name for phylloquinone.
Fresh frozen plasma: Plasma separated from donated blood and frozen for transfusion to replace coagulation factors. It supplies clotting factors directly, whereas phytomenadione supports their renewed production.
Gamma-glutamyl carboxylase: An enzyme that uses reduced vitamin K to carboxylate selected glutamate residues in proteins. It uses phytomenadione-derived vitamin K to activate clotting proteins.
Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn: Bleeding caused by low vitamin K-dependent clotting activity in newborns. Newborn prophylaxis commonly uses phytomenadione to prevent this disease.