New antithrombotics: The impact on global health care

Download PDF Authored By: Charles E. Mahan a,⁎, John Fanikos b a University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico b Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts a b s t r a c t New and generic forms of widely used medications introduced in the antiplatelet, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic therapeutic classes will [...]

Combination warfarin-ASA therapy: Which patients should receive it, which patients should not, and why?

Combination warfarin-ASA therapy: Which patients should receive it, which patients should not, and why? James D. Douketis ⁎ Department of Medicine, McMaster University and St Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada Warfarin and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) are widely used for the primary and secondary prevention of thromboembolic and atherothrombotic diseases in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, [...]

How My Own Hospital Almost Killed Me: A Doctor’s Story of Survival against the Odds and How All Patients should Protect Themselves from this Silent Killer in the Hospital

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Authored By: Mary Beth Hanley, D.O.
Kent Hospital – Warwick, Rhode Island

I cannot remember a time in my life when I was not interested in Medicine. As a young child I loved watching medical programs on TV, and pretending to cure my sick stuffed animal patients! These were still the days when girls were not encouraged to pursue careers in medicine. I decided to pursue a career in Nursing. My favorite high school teacher voiced his disappointment to me that I was not going to go to Medical school, but I had been accepted at a wonderful college with an excellent Nursing program and I was going to change the world.

Mesenteric Venous Thrombosis (MVT) – An atypical form of Thrombosis

Download PDF Authored By: Annie Rajendran, PhD (annrajen@yahoo.com) Mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) is an exceptional form of venous thromboembolism (VTE) that is generally not discussed much and research and references with relevance to the same are very sparse. While there is a gaining impetus and awareness as far as VTE is concerned it is unfortunate [...]

NATF Basic/Translational Research Working Group September 2010 Meeting

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Authored By: Henry I. Bussey, PharmD, The University of Texas at Austin and the Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas
Jawed Fareed, PhD, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois
Craig M. Jackson, PhD, San Diego, California
Michael Kurz, PharmD, Canyon Pharmaceuticals, Parsippany, New Jersey
Gundu H. R. Rao, PhD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jeanine M. Walenga, PhD, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois
Jeffrey I. Weitz, MD, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

INTRODUCTION

During the VIP Working Group Sessions of the NATF held September 24, 2010, several experts in anticoagulation comprising the Basic/Translational Research Group, met to identify unaddressed issues that were of immediate concern based on the impact of the new oral anticoagulant drugs (OACs) on routine clinical practice. The drugs furthest along in development and closest to FDA approval include both oral thrombin inhibitors [dabigatran (1-3)] and oral factor (F) Xa inhibitors [rivaroxaban (4-14); apixaban (15-19)]. Although these drugs are targeted to replace oral warfarin, it is important to recognize they are different from warfarin in numerous aspects. The summation of these discussions as prepared by Dr. Jeanine Walenga is provided below.

NATF Traveling Fellowship: A Catalyst for Career Development

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Authored By: Sara Vazquez, PharmD, University of Utah, NATF Traveling Fellow 2009

My experience as one of the 2009 NATF Traveling Fellows has truly been a catalyst for my career development. NATF’s concept of supporting a new practitioner’s collaborative project and travel to another center began in 2007. For me, the journey began in 2008, when I applied for the fellowship in its second year. I was not awarded the fellowship that year, but received a very encouraging personal phone call from Dr. Sussman. Her advice was to use the upcoming year to gain more experience and apply again. So, in 2009, armed with more confidence and more experience, I applied again.

Nursing Perspective: Informed Consent and Patient Empowerment

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Authored By: Laurie A. Sardo RN, BScN, MBA¹, Pamela B. Stevens RN¹, Shannon M. Bates MDCM, MSc^1,2

¹Department of Medicine, McMaster University and ²Thrombosis & Atherosclerosis Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Nursing Perspective: Informed Consent and Patient Empowerment

Informed consent is an important and essential component of patient care. With the growing emphasis on multidisciplinary teams, nurses are increasingly responsible for obtaining informed consent for research studies and clinical interventions. This paper will focus on informed consent for research purposes. In the past, consent may have been viewed as a protective measure for the health care provider. Fortunately, the consent process now reflects the practice of truly informing the patient about the risks and benefits of the intervention at hand, as well as of alternative treatment. A focus on the basic components of consent can help to ensure that the patient is fully informed before providing consent.

Gangrene Secondary to Deep Vein Thrombosis

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Authored By: Muzammil H. Musani, MD
Department of Internal Medicine
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital

Abstract
Venous gangrene is a rare and often fatal complication of deep venous thrombosis, usually involving the lower extremities. Common underlying conditions are neoplastic disease, postpartum state, and postoperative state. To diagnose venous gangrene, it is necessary to establish that there is deep venous thrombosis without arterial occlusion. Cyanosis is a characteristic sign that appears before the onset of irreversibility. The role of thrombolytic therapy is uncertain.

Nina Meins: My DVT/PE Story

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Authored By: Nina Meins

At the age of 32, I was an active, working wife and mother until deep vein thrombosis (DVT) changed my life. I never had issues with blood clots, in fact, I knew nothing about them. I had taken birth control pill for 14 years, which I previously stopped to become pregnant with my first child. The first pregnancy progressed with no complications. My second pregnancy would prove that anyone’s life can change in an instant. Not only did my life get turned upside down, but my husband, children, and immediate family and friends felt the effects of my health problems.

Venous Thromboembolism: A Persian Perspective to Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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Authored By: Behnood Bikdeli, MD^1,2 and Babak Sharif-Kashani, MD¹
In this article, we review the general perspective of venous thromboembolism from Iran, mainly focusing on the trends from the National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD), a WHO-collaborating university hospital in Tehran, Iran.