Blood clots kill 25,000 a year
Straightforward procedures could save the lives of thousands of hospital patients every year in Britain but official guidance delayed.
At least 25,000 people die in Britain every year from blood clots which could be prevented by simple procedures which are not yet routine in Britain according to reports.
More that 12,500 patients a year die in hospitals from venous thromboemebolisms (VTE), blood clots that form in the veins of the legs or pelvis and travel to the heart or lungs. This figure is at least five times greater than the number of deaths from breast cancer, Aids and road traffic accidents put together.
In 2005, the House of Commons' Health Committee reported that "thromboprophaylaxis" the treatment to prevent blood clots forming were poorly implemented in the UK.
Finally after a delay of 2 years the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance last month. The guidance states all patients undergoing major surgery should be assessed to identify their risk of developing blood clots. The formation of clots occurs in more than 20 per cent of surgical patients.
Other preventive measures suggested by NICE include offering patients compression stockings, inflatable boots and the use of blood-thinning medication.
A spokesperson from an independent expert group voiced his concerns that during this two year wait 25,000 may have died needlessly because of the failure to implement these simple procedures.
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