Promoting thrombosis day W
immera Health Care Group is joining more than 200 organisations across 60 countries in a joint effort to promote World Thrombosis Day.
World Thrombosis Day, every year on October 13, aims to reduce deaths and disabilities from thromboembolic disease by increasing awareness of thrombosis. The health group’s pharmacist Darlene Smith said thrombosis was a blood clot in an artery or vein and could cause a heart attack, stroke or venous thromboembolism, VTE. “VTE is a life-threatening but preventable condition. In Australia, it is more common than the most common types of cancer and causes more deaths than all transport accidents and falls combined,” she said. “It is a bigger killer than bowel or breast cancer and, in 2008, the financial cost of VTE in Australia was $1.72 billion, with an additional cost of $19.99 billion on lost wellbeing.” Ms Smith said VTE included deep vein thrombosis, DVT, a clot in the leg, and pulmonary embolism, PE, when a clot broke loose and traveled to the lungs. “A blood clot in the leg or lungs can happen to anyone at any age,” she said. “Sometimes there are no warning signs or symptoms.” There are three main triggers for blood clots: • A hospital stay for an extended
AWA R E N E S S : Wimmera Health Care Group intensive-care unit nurses Jane Moriarty and Anne Russell show how equipment can be used to prevent thrombosis.
time leads to more than two thirds of all cases of blood clots and is the leading cause of preventable hospital deaths. • Surgery, especially hip and knee surgery, and surgery for cancer. • Not moving for long periods of time – for example, having to stay on bed rest or extended travel.
Triggers Other triggers include: • Older age – an 80-year-old is five to six times at risk compared with a 40-year-old. • Family history of blood clots. • Oestrogen-based medications such as oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.
Staley critical of disability scheme delays Member for Ripon Louise Staley fears the State Government’s roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will leave people in Ararat waiting until January 1, 2017 – too long to receive benefits from the program.
• Pregnancy or having recently given birth, and obesity. Wimmera Health Care Group has reviewed its procedures for preventing blood clots. Blood clots can be prevented using medication, compression stockings and sequential compression devices. Ms Smith said sequential compression devices were used after hip and knee surgery, stroke, caesarean section and in other people who might be at risk for VTE. “They are a pump connected to a sleeve, which is worn on the legs. The pump and sleeves massage the legs by inflating with air every 20 to 60 seconds and help to move the blood from the legs
back up to the heart,” she said. “Most patients actually enjoy the sensation of the machine.” She said it was important for people to know the warning signs of DVT and PE. “Warning signs in the leg might include pain, warmth, tenderness, redness and swelling. If a blood clot has travelled to the lungs, symptoms might include unexplained shortness of breath, fast breathing, chest pain which might be worse on deep breaths, fast heart rate and light-headedness or passing out,” Ms Smith said. “Anyone who thinks they are having signs or symptoms of either a DVT or PE must seek emergency medical treatment.”
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She said she was also concerned that despite the scheme having bipartisan political support and being great news for regional people with disabilities and their families, the rollout would miss people who need it most. “The former State Government signed up to the NDIS and committed to a rollout where all those on waiting lists, regardless of where they lived, received the benefits first,” Ms Staley said. “Under the Labor government’s rollout, some people who are already receiving disability services will be transitioned while those on waiting lists in Ararat
will continue to wait.” Opposition disability services representative Tim Bull said rolling out the scheme to those on the waiting list first was the fairest approach. “While there is provision for the early roll out of some of the more acute cases on waiting lists, everyone who is eligible, stuck on a waiting list and not receiving a service at all, should access the NDIS first,” he said. Opposition families and children spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said children, in particular, should have access to early intervention services under the scheme as a priority. “Young children with disabilities are some of the most vulnerable on our waiting lists and it is so important they have access to services as early as possible,” she said. “While the NDIS is great news for these children and their families, we need to make sure the roll-out is done fairy and targets those in most need.”
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