New blood clot prevention medicine
The dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health and a team of scientists worldwide (including from the University of Adelaide), have found a better way to prevent deadly blood clots after joint replacement surgery – a major problem that results in thousands of unnecessary deaths each year.
Blood clots, known as deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), affect the large veins in the lower leg and thigh. If the clot breaks free and moves through the bloodstream, it can lodge in the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE), which is often fatal.
Pulmonary embolism is the most common preventable cause of sudden death after surgery.
Current preventive treatments include uncomfortable injections and one oral anti-clotting medicine that is difficult for patients and physicians to manage.
Researchers wanted to find something better. In a double-blind study of more than 3,000 patients, researchers tested a new type of anti-clotting drug called Apixaban, which is an oral medication.
The medicine proved just as effective at preventing blood clots and reduced the risk of bleeding by half. Most importantly for patient convenience, it was much easier to use.
