This is a rather frivolous post but it is that time of year. I have modified a couple of well-known carols to bring some Christmas cheer to those of you on anticoagulants. The pregnant women's Christmas lament A Christmas carol to all those pregnant women having to inject themselves with low-molecular-weight heparin during the Christmas period. To the tune of O little … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2021
Santa Claus atrial fibrillation risk
An article in The Medical Journal of Australia raised concerns that Santa has a risk of developing atrial fibrillation because of his advanced age and other risk factors. Currently, there is no guide to help manage his condition. Fortunately, the authors of the article have come up with some useful advice. They proposed the SANTA CLAUS mnemonic to aid … [Read more...]
Blood Red Christmas
Red and green are the colours of Christmas. But why have the colours become so synonymous with this time of year? I wondered if there was any link with blood. The main reason I tried to find a link was so I could show off our Lego Christmas Village in a post. It certainly has a red and green theme. We have been collecting a new house for the Christmas village every year for … [Read more...]
I need surgery – on warfarin for venous thrombosis
Many of you have had a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolus (PE) or know somebody who has been affected by these conditions. Some of you will have had a short course of treatment, but if you have had more than one clot, you will likely stay on long-term treatment. Currently, most people with a DVT or PE are treated with newer drugs such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban or … [Read more...]
I need surgery – on warfarin for atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is a common condition. It affects approximately 1% of the population and up to 10% of people over 70 years have AF. At some time, you may need surgery. If you take warfarin there is some additional risk. Most people are concerned that they have an increased risk of bleeding if they keep taking their treatment and an increased risk of a stroke if they stop. … [Read more...]
COVID, clots and shots – Medsafe report explained.
"I'm not having the vaccine. It kills people", was the uncompromising response from one of my patients when I asked her if she was getting vaccinated. I can't give much more detail of our discussion as consultations are confidential, but the background to her statement goes something like this. She explained that a friend of hers knew of a man who developed a stroke three … [Read more...]
