A Clearinghouse for Information about Blood Clots (DVT/)PE) and Clotting Disorders (thrombophilia) provided as a public service by the University of North Carolina Blood Research Center

Tag: Bleeding

  • Alcohol and Blood Thinners (Warfarin, Pradaxa)

    A patient may ask: “I am on warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®).  Is it o.k. for me to drink alcohol?  Does alcohol intake increase the INR?” Does drinking alcohol change the INR in the patient on warfarin?

  • Minor Cuts and Nosebleeds on Anticoagulants

    When a patient on warfarin bleeds more than usual it is, of course, important to make sure that the INR is not supra-therapeutic.  And, if the INR is too high, warfarin therapy needs to be adjusted and other treatment (vitamin K, etc) may have to be employed depending on the degree of INR elevation and…

  • Minor Cuts and Bleeding on Blood Thinners

    When a patient on warfarin bleeds more than usual it is important to make sure that the INR is not above the desired (therapeutic) range.  If the INR is too high, i.e. the blood is too thin, warfarin may have to be interrupted; if it is very high vitamin K sometimes has to be given…

  • Being on Blood Thinners: How Do I Know I am Bleeding?

    Emily Hawes, UNC School of Pharmacy, writes…  Patients on blood thinners are at increased risk for bleeding.  This can be easy to recognize external bleeding (bruising, bleeding from a cut, nosebleeds, etc.) or more occult internal bleeding.  Patients need to know how to recognize abnormal bleeding.  If any of the below signs of abnormal bleeding occur patients need…

  • Pradaxa – What Your Physician/Hospital Wants to Know

    If you are considering to start therapy with the new oral “blood thinner” Pradaxa®, there are a few safety nets that your local hospital and physician may want to establish to make therapy as safe as possible for you. Issues to be addressed are (a) dosing, (b) management of major bleeding, (c) interruption of therapy…

  • HHT

    What is HHT? HHT (Hereditary Hemorrhagic Teleangiectasia), called Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome,  is an inherited disorder in which small blood vessels develop abnormally [ref 1].  It is estimated that 30,000 to 60,000 people (1 out 5,000 to 10,000) in the United States are affected. Individuals with HHT develop telengiectasias in the skin (usually in the fingers and hands) and…

  • Pradaxa – Management of Major Bleeding

    Major and life-threatening bleeding is expected to occur in some patients treated with Pradaxa® (=Dabigatran). The question will then urgently arise how to best treat such catastrophic bleeding.

  • Pradaxa – Management of Major Bleeding

    Major and life-threatening bleeding is expected to occur in some patients treated with Pradaxa® (=Dabigatran). The question will then urgently arise how to best treat such catastrophic bleeding.  As there have been no data published on this topic in the peer-reviewed medical literature, we don’t know how to best manage a patient with major and…