Even though we live in New Zealand, we like to celebrate the American tradition of Thanksgiving. We have a big family meal and give thanks for the birth parents of our three adopted children (I got this idea from Mia Farrow). Afterwards we get out our Christmas tree and lights to start the long process of decorating inside and outside. Paul is quite interested in the history … [Read more...]
Simple Faint or Blood Clot?
Nearly 1 in 5 people in hospital for 'fainting' have a pulmonary embolus That prestigious medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, has produced a cool video that makes a complex medical article, about syncope (a 'faint') and pulmonary embolism, easy (or at least easier!) to understand. Making sense of medical journals could never be described as 'light … [Read more...]
What’s in your blood? – Q & A
Have you ever wondered how your anti-coagulant drugs work? Well, it's all related to the not-so-scary science of coagulation. Student doctors often run screaming from this topic as it can be very complex with seemingly endless nonsensical Roman numerals that make up the biochemistry of the clotting cascade. But we’re here to make it simple, by going at it in bite sized … [Read more...]
Jonah Lomu Remembered
An All Black Legend One year ago, on 18th November 2015, one of the New Zealand Rugby greats passed away. Jonah Lomu was known the world over as an All Black legend and was one of the most feared wingers in the history of the game. He was only forty when he died and his death was seen as a huge loss to rugby as he was a great ambassador for the game. Although Jonah had a long … [Read more...]
Frivolous Friday – the death that stops you clotting
Did you know that if you are struck by lightening your blood doesn't clot? This was first described back in 1794 and became quite important in the scientific discovery of how blood clots. John Hunter wrote in 'A treatise on the blood, inflammation and gun-shot wounds' records that in 'animals killed by lightning or electricity' or in animals 'who are run very hard, and … [Read more...]
Do you have an MD in jargon juggling?
Have you ever tried reading your medical notes and been completely stumped by some terms? Or can you understand complex medical terms without pause? Here are 10 medical terms related to coagulation issues. Just click on the term to see what they mean and see if you can score a perfect 10/10 (MD level!). [su_spoiler title="1. Melaena" … [Read more...]
Clot risk – getting older
This Medical Monday series is about risk factors for venous thromboembolism, VTE (pulmonary embolism and DVT). The post 'Are you on the red or blue team?' outlines the difference between arterial and venous clots. We are going to cover Strong risk factors; being in hospital, having surgery and immobility Moderate risk factors; age (60+), a previous blood clot, family … [Read more...]
Weekend reflection – the Serenity prayer
No matter what your political affiliation, 'Serenity' is not a word that could be used to describe these past few days! I thought this famous prayer was apt for our weekend reflection though, as it can be applied to times of political change as well as to our personal times of adversity. Our 'Weekend reflection' series of quotes is designed to help when you’re facing … [Read more...]
History of the blood-red remembrance poppy
On Armistice day, we use poppies as a memorial. Blood-red poppies were some of the only plants to grow on the battle fields of the Napoleonic and First World War. They grow best in fertilised (in war by human blood) and turned over ground (in war by horses, artillary or explosions). They came to represent the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers and were first adopted as a … [Read more...]
Clots and Presidential Politics
Today is election day in the United States and soon we will know who will be the next President. The lead up to this election has been more intense than previous campaigns and at times has become rather bitter and aggressive with both sides bringing up issues from the past. All sorts of things contribute to politics, but many of you may not be aware that in the 1970s, around … [Read more...]