(AP) -- A hospital in Corpus Christi said Thursday that a mixing error that led to a blood thinner overdose in as many as 17 infants was caused by its pharmacy. Two of the babies involved have died.
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Belt and braces approach may prevent deep vein thromboses
Combining short periods of leg compression with medications such as heparin is more effective at preventing blood clots in high-risk patients than using either preventative measure alone. A team of Cochrane Researchers believe that this 'belt and braces' approach can significantly decrease a patient's risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Fewer than 1 in 5 patients receive treatment to prevent life-threatening blood clots
Fewer than 1 in 5 patients received post-discharge therapy to prevent life-threatening blood clots — venous thrombosis — after hip- or knee-replacement surgery, report Rahme and colleagues in a retrospective cohort study. Venous thrombosis is one of the leading causes of death among hospital patients. However, elderly patients have a 70% lower chance of dying within 3 months if they take an anticoagulant drug to prevent blood clots.
Landmark study reveals superiority of bivalirudin in heart attack patients at 30 days
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced today that the New England Journal of Medicine published results of the HORIZONS AMI trial which showed the use of the anticoagulant bivalirudin following angioplasty in heart attack patients reduced net adverse clinical events by 24 percent compared to the standard treatment, as well as reduced the risk of overall mortality by 33 percent and cardiac mortality by 38 percent.
Are blood thinners post-op killers?
Current US guidelines for the prescription of potent anticoagulants by surgeons who perform joint replacement operations could be doing patients more harm than good, according to Dr. Nigel Sharrock and his team from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. They argue for a revision of the American College of Chest Physicians’ guidelines, in light of their review showing that the use of powerful anticoagulants to prevent pulmonary embolism may actually lead to more deaths among patients who take these drugs. The paper was published in the March issue of Springer’s journal
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Limit on cold remedies for kids was FDA's idea
(AP) -- When drug makers made a surprise announcement this week that they no longer recommend cough and cold remedies for youngsters under 4, they didn't let on that it was the government's idea.
Statins may prevent miscarriages
Hospital for Special Surgery researchers have found that statins may be able to prevent miscarriages in women who are suffering from pregnancy complications caused by antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), according to a study in mice. In this autoimmune syndrome, the body produces antibodies directed at phospholipids, the main components of cell membranes. This news comes from a study published in the October issue of the
Journal of Clinical Investigation that is currently online in advance of print.
Dietary approaches to stop hypertension
I was doing what any self-respecting dietitian does with friends at the beach ... reading the label on the corn chip bag. I was surprised that this particular brand was lower in sodium than other snack foods I've seen.
Want a mammogram? Get in line
Doctors usually recommend that women older than 40 get yearly mammograms. But if you're planning on calling Northwestern Memorial Hospital's state-of-the-art breast imaging center, grab next year's calendar: The next opening is in May.