Thrombosis research
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Thrombosis research · Jan 2003
Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in medical inpatients: a retrospective chart review.
Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Most hospitalized patients with a fatal pulmonary embolism are medical patients who do not have a history of recent surgery [BMJ 302 (1991) 709; J. R. Soc. Med. 82 (1989) 198]. There is evidence suggesting that VTE prophylaxis is indicated in many high risk medical patients [Chest 119 (2001) 132S; NEJM 341 (1999) 793]. However, previous studies have shown that only about one third of high risk medical patients receive VTE prophylaxis [Ann. Intern. Med. 115 (1991) 591; Chest 106 (1994) 13; Chest 107 (1995) 296]. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of use of VTE prophylaxis in medical inpatients at two teaching hospitals in Hamilton, Ontario. ⋯ One third of medical inpatients at two teaching hospitals in Hamilton received some form of VTE prophylaxis.
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Thrombosis research · Dec 2002
Addition of a propyl gallate-based procoagulant to a fibrin bandage improves hemostatic performance in a swine arterial bleeding model.
Fibrin bandages manufactured by Nycomed Austria (TC-S) were modified by the addition of Hemostyptin (HS), a proprietary platelet-activating reagent containing propyl gallate. HS was added as an additional layer to TC-S fibrin bandages and the bandages were tested for hemostatic efficacy in a swine femoral artery bleeding model. ⋯ TC-S+HS bandages were more effective than control bandages with a difference in blood loss of 251.8+/-66.5 g for TC-S bandage alone, n=12 vs. 121+/-40.7 g, n=13 for the TC-S+HS bandage, P=0.05. Bleeding times were shortened for animals treated with the HS fortified bandages and residual platelets counts in these animals were higher.
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Thrombosis research · Dec 2002
Epsilon-amino caproic acid additive decreases fibrin bandage performance in a swine arterial bleeding model.
epsilon -Amino caproic acid (EACA), a lysine analog that inhibits the activity of plasmin, was added to Nycomed (TC-S) fibrin bandages, and the bandages were tested for hemostatic efficacy in a swine femoral artery bleeding model. The blood loss using the bandage with EACA (TC-S+EACA; 728.8+/-132 g, n=5) was much greater as compared to the TC-S bandage alone (TC-S; 237.8+/-47.9 g, n=6, p=.02). The time to "cessation of bleeding" (T(b)) was also increased for animals treated with TC-S+EACA bandages compared to the TC-S controls (33.6+/-10.8 min vs. 9.2+/-2.2 min; p=.05). ⋯ Animals treated with the TC-S control bandage exhibited no changes in fibrinogen, aPTT or TT. Prothrombin times (PT) were unchanged in either group. In conclusion, addition of EACA to the Nycomed product decreased fibrin bandage efficiency.