On Armistice day, we use poppies as a memorial. Blood-red poppies were some of the only plants to grow on the battle fields of the Napoleonic and First World War. They grow best in fertilised (in war by human blood) and turned over ground (in war by horses, artillary or explosions). They came to represent the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers and were first adopted as a … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2016
Clots and Presidential Politics
Today is election day in the United States and soon we will know who will be the next President. The lead up to this election has been more intense than previous campaigns and at times has become rather bitter and aggressive with both sides bringing up issues from the past. All sorts of things contribute to politics, but many of you may not be aware that in the 1970s, around … [Read more...]
Clot risk – immobility
This Medical Monday series is about risk factors for venous thromboembolism, VTE (pulmonary embolism and DVT). The post 'Are you on the red or blue team?' outlines the difference between arterial and venous clots. We are going to cover Strong risk factors; being in hospital, having surgery and immobility Moderate risk factors; age (60+), a previous blood clot, family … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – when life gives you lemons
At first glance you'd think today's post belongs in our 'Weekend Reflection' series, as the original phrase "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" is about coping with adversity. Apparently the phrase was first used in a 1915 obituary and has since been quoted often in various forms. Today though we're going to look at variations on the phrase, starting with the one that … [Read more...]
David Clotterfield Saga – scene 6
David Clotterfield and Clara Clearvessel are both on warfarin and as we follow their saga we discover their beliefs about anticoagulation through the various comments they make about their lives. At the end of each scene, you'll get a chance to test your knowledge; Are their comments true or false? Before reading this episode, you may like to catch up with the previous … [Read more...]
“Best Anticoagulant Control in the World” – from Paul’s book chapter
Point-of care testing book This week a new book, entitled "A Practical Guide to Global Point-of-Care testing", was published in Australia. I am very excited about this as I am one of the contributors. Point-of-care testing, or POC testing for short, is where a laboratory test is carried out at the bedside or immediately after a blood sample is taken. Those of you who use … [Read more...]