Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSNew guidance for treating blood clots
Guidance has been issued by the National Patient Safety Agency to ensure that a patient’s weight is known and recorded before medication is given to treat blood clots.
The rapid response report from the NPSA follows more than 2,700 patient safety incidents involving low molecular weight heparins reported to the NPSA over four-and-a-half years, including one incident that led to a death, and three that resulted in serious harm.
Underdosing with the medication can lead to an increased risk of clotting, while an overdose can lead to internal and external bleeding.
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