Over the last few months we have been running a series of posts on the risk factors for thrombosis. A few weeks ago I looked at the link between family history and thrombosis and touched on inherited causes of blood clots. This is a big field and quite complex as more and more risk factors have been identified. In this post I will give you some background to the … [Read more...]
Three thrombo resolutions
New Year is the time for making resolutions. If you are like me, they last for a few weeks at most but the intention is good. For people who have had a blood clot these are three things that you might want to add to your resolutions for this year. Take your tablets regularly If you are taking an anticoagulant it is very important that you keep taking it regularly. This is … [Read more...]
5 best posts of 2016
As we look back over the past year we thought we'd remind you of our 5 most popular medical posts for 2016 in case you missed any of them. The F words of recovery - could you have PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, can occur in anyone who has experienced a terrifying or traumatic event including serious injury or threat of death. The cluster of symptoms are … [Read more...]
The Story of Christmas Disease
Once upon a time in a land far away, in fact England in 1947, a boy called Stephen was born. While he was still a baby, his family took him to live in Canada where he soon started having problems with severe bleeding. At the age of 2 years he was diagnosed with haemophilia. On a visit back to England in 1952 at the age of 5yrs, Stephen unfortunately ended up back in hospital … [Read more...]
Clot risk – family history
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...]
Hilary Clinton’s history of blood clots
One month after the US election and another post about politics and blood clots - Did you know that Hillary Clinton has a significant history of blood clots and is on long term anticoagulants? She has had three episodes of thrombosis. DVTs in 1998 and 2009 Hillary Clinton had her first DVT in 1998 while she was the first Lady. She was on a fund raising trip to … [Read more...]
Clot risk – a previous clot
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...]
Taking the Pxxs – Coagulation Science
This is the first of our two posts on the absolute basics of clotting which can be covered by two swear word innuendos, taking the Pxxs the ‘F’ words We hope to make the science of coagulation simple, by going at it in bite sized pieces that will in time build into a whole picture of coagulation enabling you to understand the science behind why you had a clot and how … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving – 5 events in coagulation history
Even though we live in New Zealand, we like to celebrate the American tradition of Thanksgiving. We have a big family meal and give thanks for the birth parents of our three adopted children (I got this idea from Mia Farrow). Afterwards we get out our Christmas tree and lights to start the long process of decorating inside and outside. Paul is quite interested in the history … [Read more...]
Simple Faint or Blood Clot?
Nearly 1 in 5 people in hospital for 'fainting' have a pulmonary embolus That prestigious medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, has produced a cool video that makes a complex medical article, about syncope (a 'faint') and pulmonary embolism, easy (or at least easier!) to understand. Making sense of medical journals could never be described as 'light … [Read more...]