Tueday, March 9th 2005

Bloodclots kill thousands of people in hospital each year, research has found - far more than MRSA or any other hospital superbug.

The condition, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), follows surgery and during or just after hospital stays. Clots form in parts of the body such as the veins of the legs and can move to the heart, blocking blood flow with fatal results. People who spend long periods in bed without taking exercise are particularly at risk.

MPs belonging to the All Party Parliamentary Health Select Committee said the toll is between 25,000-32,000 in the UK each year, and they have set out guidelines that could help prevent tens of thousands of such deaths. Lifeblood the Thrombosis Charity has praised the report.

Dr Beverley Hunt, medical director for Lifeblood said: "This Select Committee has issued its recommendations to the Government in a bid to cut the alarming death rate. Lifeblood urges the Department of Health and NHS to implement these recommendations immediately." The risk factors are well known and can be spotted relatively easily.

Lifeblood says this means that patients should be assessed for risk when they are first admitted to hospital to reduce the incidence of a killer clot forming significantly.

Other links:
Lifeblood - Thrombosis Charity
www.channel4.com/news/2005/03/week_2/08_dvt.html
www.mysan.de/article49839.html