Who is comparing this to this one from Aug. 2012 or the leg wraps from Scotland in May 2013. It shouldn't take more than a year to get this inexpensive therapy rolled out to all stroke hospitals. Laggards should have their head stroke doctor fired. How the hell else are hospitals ever going to stay current with research unless YOU hold their feet to the fire. You may have to live with the disabilities they could easily prevent.
http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/compression-therapy-reduces-blood-clots-in-stroke-patients-study-finds-289844.htm
New research shows that inexpensive leg compression devices help prevent fatal blood clots in stroke patients.
The thigh-length sleeves promote blood flow by periodically filling with
air and gently squeezing the legs. Vascular PRN, based in Tampa, Fla.,
is a leading national distributor of intermittent pneumatic compression
(IPC) therapy equipment. Greg Grambor, the company's president,
commented on the study.
“Compression therapy has been around for over 20 years,” Grambor said.
“Many doctors have already come to rely on this equipment for safe,
effective, and affordable prevention of deep vein thrombosis. I'm glad
this new research was done, and I hope it will help convince more
doctors to give it a try.”
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot inside a
vein deep within the body. It is common in stroke patients and immobile
patients and can also occur in healthy people on long flights where
movement is restricted. When a clot detaches, it can then become lodged
in the arteries of the lungs, causing a potentially life-threatening
pulmonary embolism.
The study involved nearly 3,000 stroke patients at over 100 hospitals
across the United Kingdom. Results showed 8.5 percent of patients
treated with compression devices developed blood clots, versus 12.1
percent of patients who received alternative treatments.
“Many patients at risk of DVT are prescribed blood thinning drugs,”
Grambor added. “But these drugs increase the risk of bleeding, which is
quite dangerous for stroke patients as it may lead to bleeding in the
brain.”
So far, no study has conclusively shown that blood thinners increase the
survival rate of stroke patients. Doctors at the European Stroke
Conference, held in London on May 31, 2013, discussed the study's
findings. Professor Martin Dennis of the University of Edinburgh said
that the UK's guidelines for treatment of stroke should be revised to
recommend IPC treatment for all patients at high risk of DVT. Currently,
they only recommend it in cases where blood thinners are unsuccessful
or too risky.
Each year, some 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke. One third
of strokes are fatal and another third result in permanent disability.
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