British journal of haematology
-
Review Practice Guideline
Guidelines on the assessment of bleeding risk prior to surgery or invasive procedures. British Committee for Standards in Haematology.
Unselected coagulation testing is widely practiced in the process of assessing bleeding risk prior to surgery. This may delay surgery inappropriately and cause unnecessary concern in patients who are found to have 'abnormal' tests. In addition it is associated with a significant cost. ⋯ Patients undergoing surgery should have a bleeding history taken. This should include detail of previous surgery and trauma, a family history, and detail of anti-thrombotic medication. Patients with a negative bleeding history do not require routine coagulation screening prior to surgery.
-
The concepts of Yin and Yang provided the intellectual framework of much of Chinese scientific thinking, especially in the fields of biology and medicine. The organs of the body were seen to be inter-related and their functions could be best appreciated through understanding connections and correlations, in the same way as in other naturally occurring phenomena. ⋯ This article is presented along such lines with a focus on thrombin and activated protein C (APC) as key examples of that balancing axis in maintaining haemostatic harmony. The emphasis will be on how understanding this relationship at the molecular and cellular level holds promise in the translation to improved clinical care.