If you're on warfarin you may be interested in the 20 multiple choice question OAK test (Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge test). It was developed in Maryland, US in 2006 by Zeolla. It was validated in the US and later in Malaysia, which means it is a trustworthy test for finding out how much people understand about taking warfarin. The pass score is 15 or more out of 20. You … [Read more...]
Two reasons why you should know your clot risk
Two important findings from a medical journal show that if you have a high risk of blood clots you should maintain a heart healthy lifestyle This is obviously good advice for everyone but when you read some of the statistics from the article it will emphasis the importance if you're at high clot risk. The risk of having a PE was 2.9 times higher in obese women than those … [Read more...]
Weekend reflection – sorrow carves into your being
Rather different to our usual educational posts; this is part of our series of quotes that may help when you’re facing adversity or finding your new normal. You may have discovered your DVT is linked to a diagnosis of cancer, you may have suffered a life-threatening PE or heart attack. Whatever the reason, many of our readers go through difficult times. We post these on … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Paul’s birthday presents
You may remember Paul turned 60 recently, around the same time as warfarin! I already told you about the phone case I gave him featuring red blood cells; lots of people at the hospital have noticed this and consider it a great present for a haematologist! But I haven't told you about the three presents his children gave him. The final one has an obvious coagulation link, … [Read more...]
Virchows triad – NOT an acrobatic troupe!
I remember sitting in pathology lectures as a medical student, trying to learn the name of yet another famous Victorian physician and wishing that they had been involved in something other than the study of what causes disease. I would have liked it if Virchow’s triad referred to an acrobat troupe, but instead, as was drummed into us, it stands for three classic risk factors … [Read more...]
Are you on the red or blue (blood clot) team?
This website mostly covers the blue (blood clot) team, that is clots that occur in the venous system, like DVT or PE. However the last two diagnosis posts covered stroke and heart attack which happen when clots occur in arteries, so the red (blood clot) team. I thought it might be a good idea to compare and contrast the two teams. You will note that I haven't kept to the … [Read more...]
What’s in a name? – anticoagulant name meanings
It took Paul and I a long time to choose names for our kids. We wanted to find something we both liked and had some kind of meaning for us. Our eldest is called Joseph which means "God will add"; this turned out to be appropriate as we now have eight children! Drug companies too, spend a long while choosing the right name for their products. Do you know the meaning of the … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – Are you carrots, eggs or coffee?
This story (author unknown) turned up in my Facebook feed. I thought it could be relevant to our readers who are coping with adversity. Carrots, Eggs and Coffee A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It … [Read more...]
Is floss dross? Or would a water flosser help your bleeding gums?
There has been recent debate about whether or not flossing is helpful for dental health. Even the Cochrane review, a very reputable source of medical information says " There is very weak evidence that flossing plus toothbrushing may reduce the amount of plaque" However it concludes that flossing reduces gum disease. If you decide to floss and you're on anticoagulants, you … [Read more...]
Guess who’s 60?
It's Paul's 60th birthday today, and we're spending it with family in Australia, including Angela's parents, who at the ages of 84 and 86 are in the process of emigrating from the UK to NZ. But we're not quite vain enough to have a post just about Paul! It is also 60 years since the first publication about warfarin. On September 13th 1956, an article entitled "Coumadin … [Read more...]