The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) together with Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) is calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) for a systematic approach for managing blood clots related issues.
Emerging research has shown that patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have a high risk of forming disabling or deadly blood clots (otherwise known as venous thromboembolism or VTE).
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms most often in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis, DVT) and travels in the circulation, lodging in the lungs (known aspulmonary embolism, PE)
DVT and PE are known as VTE -a dangerous, potentially deadly, medical condition. Hospital-associated VTE (describes VTE occurring in hospital and 90 days post discharge) accounts for 60% of all VTE.
In a joint release issued by the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), President of ISTH Claire McLintock indicated that a consensus statement from over 70 clinical representative organizations in the hematology and patient safety field, alerting the international community to this risk, and calling upon the WHO to save lives by supporting a system-wide approach to VTE management on a global scale.
“To reduce harm from COVID-19 associated with VTE, the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis has issued a Consensus Statement on COVID-19 and VTE, together with 70 national and international clinical representative organizations,” he said.
The statement, therefore, calls upon the WHO to endorse and share the application of a system-wide approach to VTE management on a global scale, as part of the international COVID-19 response.
Ghana has recorded 41,003 Covid-19 cases as at August 10, 2020, with 215 deaths. However, the number of deaths so far is remarkably less than feared and reflects the comprehensive prevention and treatment protocols put in place by the Ghana government.
The SASNET-Ghana complained that low molecular weight heparins are prohibitively expensive and are not easily available for prophylactic and treatment for VTE in Ghana.
The SASNET-Ghana says it fully supports the multi-national consensus statement calling for a systematic approach for managing venous thromboembolism in patients with Covid-19. This is a significant gap in the clinical management of patients with VTE.
The post ISTH, SASNET-Ghana call for urgent Covid-19 blood clots reponse appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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