Archive for August, 2010
August 30th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Hemostasis is made possible by formation of a platelet plug AND a fibrin clot. Both are needed, and a clinician needs to think about them differently. Let’s explore platelet plug formation.
Now, there are two main problems with platelets, either 1) a decreased number or 2) bad (broken) platelets that have poor function. There are two tests that we need to evaluate for platelet function.
One is the platelet count as seen on the red blood cell count. So, we are looking at the absolute number, or we are looking at a test called the bleeding time. When a platelet count is decreased, this is known as thrombocytopenia. This is seen if there is a problem in the bone marrow such as decreased production of platelets which you can see in some malignancies, most commonly seen in chemotherapy that suppresses bone marrow, increased destruction such as a hyperactive spleen where the only potential solution to this is to have a splenectomy, or from idiopathic thrombocytopenia which is typically a child after a viral syndrome where the treatment is steroid removal immunoglobulin or spleen removal. When I was in my pediatric rotation, I remember seeing a young child for a well child visit, and this was actually my first rotation as a physician assistant student. When the physician came in, the child clearly responded adversely to the pediatrician who was a bit older with a beard, and the mom said that he looked kind of like his father. The child was really kind of frightful of the physician. When he looked over the child, the child had a number of bruises especially on his lower legs. I believed this child was being abused by his father. The doctor sent him off for blood work, and I was quite upset with the physician which I talked about wondering how he could not see how apparent abuse was. Well, when the blood work came back, this child had idiopathic thrombocytopenia, and it was not child abuse.
Sepsis, in the setting of a low platelet count, is a red flag for a patient requiring intensive care. If the platelet count is less then 50K, they have an increased risk of post traumatic bleeding. If you have platelet counts of less than 20,000, you can have increased spontaneous bleeding. When I used to cover the hematology/ oncology floor, we would transfuse patients when they got below 10,000.
The bleeding time is a test of platelet function. The bleeding time is basically a small incision in the skin that by spring-loaded apparatus, it gives us a very uniform little abrasion, and the lab will blot that area until the bleeding stops. I may have only ordered this test once in my life. It is pretty rare. The most common reason why platelets would not clot well is aspirin, someone who takes aspirin, their blood is a little bit thin. Or uremia. Hypothermia can do this as well.
The lifespan of a platelet is 7 days. Aspirin deactivated the platelet for that length of time. We will exclude genetic coagulopathies here. But, I do want to talk about medications that affect the platelets. The most common one by far is aspirin. The dose can vary between 81 mg to 1,000 mg daily. Plavix is typically 75 mg once per day, and has been used with success in people with known coronary artery disease or atherosclerotic disease such as a past myocardial infarction or stroke. GB 2B/#a inhibitors are used in ACS. It is kind of like a fancy IV aspirin.
There are key skills you must master to evaluate acute presenting patients. Laboratory analysis is one of those skills.
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Technorati Tags: herbal blood thinners, Platelet Inhibitors
August 28th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…
Safe travel: During your journey, take steps to avoid blood clots
That's blood clotting that commonly occurs in the lower leg continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Blood Clot Information, How Does Blood Clot
August 26th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Bristol-Myers Squibb starts recall of Coumadin – Yahoo! News
NEW YORK – Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said Monday it is recalling eight production lots of its anti-clotting drug Coumadin because the amount of the active ingredient in the drug could change.
The company said the recall is continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Dangers of Blood Thinners, How to prevent Blood Clots
August 24th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…
Woods still benefits from AT&T despite split
Concern about a possible blood clot was dispelled, and the stiffness was diagnosed continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Blood Thinner Danger, How Does Blood Clot
August 22nd, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Weight Loss and Your Body Type
by: Missie Choi
In order to lose weight effectively, you need to know your own unique body type. We are all different to each other, so you’d agree that it is logical to apply different method to suit individual body type to accelerate your weight loss process.
There are roughly 5 continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Blood Clot Information, blood thinner dangers
August 20th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
When she was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation and placed on the blood thinning medication warfarin, Patty Borkowski began regular trips to the Anticoagulation Clinic at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She didn’t realize her experience was different from that of other women on blood thinners.
A consistent continue reading »
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August 18th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
One of the most frequent questions moms to be and nursing moms are now asking health professionals is: is omega-3 okay to use while breastfeeding?
Numerous studies are now revealing that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for the developing fetus. In addition, young children who are given supplementation or diet containing continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Blood Thinner Danger, Dangers of Blood Thinners
August 16th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…
Belfast police, Irish nationalists clash
Family sues after broken toe kills mumA British mother died from a broken toe after a large blood clot beneath her plaster cast broke free and became stuck … Read More…
StopThe Bloodclot Crying Over Suarez And Uruguay
Reading blog and twitter responses from those opposed to the continued participation of the Uruguayans in this tournament have started to make my blood boil … Read More…
Conventional prostate cancer treatments increase risk of blood clots by 250 …
Scientists cannot explain how having prostate cancer alone increases the likelihood of a patient suffering from a blood clot, but they do know that … Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.
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Technorati Tags: herbal blood thinners, How Does Blood Clot
August 14th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Natural Remedies For Perimenopause And Menopause Symptoms
by: LynnDonn
More and more women are seeking natural alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most compelling reason for many is the association between conventional hormone replacement therapy and a number continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: blood thinner dangers, Dangers of Blood Thinners
August 12th, 2010 -- Posted in General |
Hey Readers! I’ve been comin across some crazy stuff the past few days from a few different blogs around the web which I just had to share with you. Check em out below…
AngioDynamics Expands Power-Injectable Port Portfolio with the Smart Port® CT …
… and is designed with a low-profile 6.6 French diameter catheter continue reading »
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Technorati Tags: Dangers of Blood Thinners, How Does Blood Clot
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