Hospitals Now Prioritizing Blood Clot Prevention
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults who are hospitalized have a higher risk of developing a life-threatening blood clot when they suffer from pre-existing conditions like kidney failure, cancer, and high blood pressure. The longer someone is on bed rest, the more susceptible he or she becomes to blood clots, too. For this reason, hospitals are prioritizing blood clot prevention.
What are blood clots? They are also known as venous thromboembolism. A life-threatening blood clot occurs when a piece of a clot breaks away, traveling to a lung. This can result in a blockage known as a pulmonary embolism. Of the 900,000 patients who suffer from blood clots, about 100,000 will die. Prescription blood-thinning drugs can help reduce the risk. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes one of these drugs in order to reduce her risk. She has had blood clots in the past.
The chief executive officer of the National Blood Clot Alliance, who survived a blood clot, said that patients should ask their doctor what the plan is to prevent getting a blood clot. Unfortunately, there are some blood clots that are not preventable. In many cases, the CDC reports, blood thinners are used correctly as well as other best practices, but some patients are just more likely to occur.
How Hospitals are Trying to Prevent Blood Clots
Because of the potential for serious injury or even death, hospitals are now doing more than ever to prevent blood clots. After administering blood thinners, patients must be monitored carefully in order to see any uncontrolled bleeding as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one have suffered from a preventable blood clot because the hospital staff was not following protocol on watching for blood clots, you may be entitled to seek compensation. No one should have to suffer from medical negligence by a physician or his or her staff.
Have you or a loved one in the New York area suffered from blood clots because the hospital failed to pay heed to the warning signs or give proper preventive medicine? If so, you may have a right to seek compensation for your damages or for the loss of your family member. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can provide a great deal of information on how to get started; we invite you to contact our law office to explore your options by calling 212-869-3500.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Blood Clot Prevention Is Higher Priority at Hospitals,” Laura Landro, Aug. 03, 2015
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