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Healthcare professional holding a smartphone and clipboard in a clinical research environment with a laptop glow in the background.
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ClinicalTrials.gov Explained: How to Search, Understand, and Use the NIH Clinical Trials Database

is the world’s largest public registry of clinical research studies, maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. This free, searchable database provides detailed information about ongoing and completed clinical trials across thousands of diseases and conditions, including venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether you’re a patient seeking experimental treatments, a healthcare professional looking for research opportunities, or a family member exploring options for a loved one, understanding how to navigate this resource can open doors to cutting-edge therapies and contribute to advancing…

Clinician’s hands adjusting a graduated compression sock on a patient’s calf in a medical exam room.
Uncategorized

How to Use Compression Socks for DVT Treatment: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Compression socks are a medically proven treatment for deep vein thrombosis when prescribed and fitted correctly by a healthcare provider. These specialized garments apply graduated pressure to your legs, strongest at the ankle and gradually decreasing toward the knee or thigh, which helps prevent blood from pooling and reduces the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome following a DVT diagnosis. Most patients wear compression therapy for at least two years after their initial event, though your vascular specialist will determine the exact duration based on your individual risk factors and recovery progress.
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Weight Loss and Blood Clots
Health Lifestyle

How Weight Loss Can Help Reduce Chances of Blood Clots

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, venous thromboembolism (VTE) or blood clots affects as many as 900,000 Americans annually. Moreover, around 100,000 people die from this disease each year, which makes it the leading cause of death in the US after cancer. Because of these alarming statistics, various campaigns about the risk of blood clots, such as the “Stop the Clot, Spread …

Health Lifestyle

The Consequences of Smoking on Your Health

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Tobacco is harmful to your health, no matter how you take it. However, the things you inhale have an impact on more than simply your lungs; they also have the potential to harm your entire body. Smoking or even vaping by Vape equipment can cause several long-term health problems as well as long-term consequences on your bodily systems. While smoking increases your risk of several issues over time, some of its physical impacts are seen immediately.
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Health Lifestyle

Mental Health Resources For Those Who Suffered From Blood Clots

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It takes a lot of strength and power to move past a life-threatening experience. The same goes for those who will live with a chronic illness. Treatment often focuses on physical factors such as resuming normal activities and breathing normally again. However, let us not forget about mental health.
Many people who had a blood clot suffer from anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. It might help to know that you are not alone if this is the case for you. Fortunately, there are organizations devoted to making mental health services more accessible.
Thrombosis Canada
Based in Canada, this …

Health Lifestyle

Campaign Wants to Spread Awareness of the Risk of High Blood Clot

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It is strange to think how low public awareness about blood clots is when they are among the most common threats to the cardiovascular system. Luckily, there are people trying to change this.
The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostatis says that one in four deaths across the globe is caused by blood clots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has partnered with the National Blood Clot Alliance to make the public more aware of the issue through a public education campaign called “Stop the Clot, Spread the Word.”
It has been pointed out that there are more people dying from blood clots than AIDS, …

Cardiology

How to Tell Uncontrolled Hypertension and Hypertensive Emergencies Apart

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It is not an uncommon sight to find patients with hypertension presenting to the Emergency Department. Did you know that one in four Canadians is diagnosed with it? Chronic hypertension is also the leading cause of disability-adjusted life expectancy.
Hypertensive Emergencies
Heterogenous acute hypertensive disorders make up hypertensive emergencies. These afflictions require immediate diagnosis and treatment. Using the main guidelines used in the country, we can break down hypertensive emergencies into two groups:

Evidence of worsening or acute end-organ damage
Severe hypertension (dBP > 120-130 …

Cardiology

What is an Electrical Storm in the Emergency Department?

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How is electrical storm managed in the emergency department?
We will discuss how the process goes for those with implantable multi-shock cardioverter-defibrillators, refractory ventricular fibrillation, and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.
Electrical shock is the occurrence of at least three sustained ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia in a span of 24 hours. On the other hand, it is defined as three ventricular arrhythmia detections requiring ICD therapies in the same amount of time.
Kindly take note that this is not a comprehensive definition as it does not consider VT that is undetected or slower…

Cardiology

The Three Acute Aortic Syndromes

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Are you familiar with the three acute aortic syndromes? If not, these are three diagnoses that are deemed to be on the same spectrum. They are, therefore, detected and treated in similar ways. They are the following:
Aortic dissection
This condition involves a rip on the intimal layer. Aside from that, it involves a false lumen and either retrograde or anterograde expansion. Among the three, this is the most common type that even accounts for 85-90% of all acute aortic syndromes.
Intramural hematoma
On the other hand, an intramural hematoma is caused by the vasa vasorum rupturing in the media. This …

Thrombosis Research

Thrombolytic Therapy During The Early ‘90s: Part 2

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We have previously discussed three trials from the early ‘90s. This list continues the theme by focusing on other studies conducted around that time.
ATLANTIS A
This trial evaluated the administration of tPA across several time windows from 0-6 hours. The primary result compared proportions of patients with a 4-point or greater improvement at 30 days and at the moment of presentation.
Researchers noted a 15% absolute difference favoring the placebo arm. There were also statistically significant absolute increases in mortality and symptomatic ICH among tPA recipients.
ATLANTIS B
This was an …