For the second topic that I want to add to the blog, I think we'll discuss various disease processes (which are just diseases) that are featured in the media.
My mom is the inspiration for this particular post. She was watching TV the other night when I wandered into the kitchen. I heard the end of a Xaralto commercial and she asked me about risk for DVT.
A DVT (deep vein thrombosis) is a type of blood clot. Everyone can get blood clots, and everyone can get DVT's. There are certain people who are more at risk for DVT's than others. People in situations where blood is more likely to stay in your legs (which is the most common site for DVT's) are more at risk than the general population. Some of those populations include people sitting on airplanes for long periods of time, women over 35 on birth control, and those with abnormal heart rhythms. These are the people that the advertisements for medication on TV are aimed at.
People in hospitals and nursing homes are also at risk for DVT's, but we know what to do to try and prevent DVT's. Its not a perfect science, but encouraging early mobility, the use of SCD (sequential compression devices) and medication (heparin) helps.
The medications advertised on TV (Xaralto, etc) are designed for active adults who are unlikely to suffer complications from bleeding. The way that all of the medications work (Xaralto, etc and Heparin and Warfarin) is by decreasing the clotting factor in the blood. The older medications (Heparin, Warfarin) can be reversed by administration of Vitamin K. The newer medications (Xaralto, etc.) can only be reversed by administration of Fresh Frozen Plasma or clotting factor.
This is the reason that all medication should be discussed with the prescribing physician including risk factors. Sometimes, the newest medication isn't always best for treating the disease.
DVT's are usually diagnosed when patients have pain in their calf along with warmth and redness. The patient undergoes a Doppler of the painful extremity, where like the weather radar, changes in the blood flow in the leg can seen. DVTs when treated quickly resolve without complications and patients can discontinue their medication. A DVT that goes untreated can kill. It "breaks free" from its location and can travel to the lungs where the blood vessels are much smaller. When the blood vessels in the lungs are blocked, it becomes difficult to breath, and if the blood clot is big enough, it unfortunately will kill the person. When the DVT "breaks free" and travels to the lungs it is called a pulmonary embolism and can constitute a medical emergency.
Please don't hesitate to contact your medical professional for more information, including diagnosis and treatment. Medical professionals are trained to diagnose and treat diseases. This is designed to be supplementary information ONLY!
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