PSA: According to a recent, Wall Street Journal article, almost half of blood clots strike patients when they are in the hospital or soon after discharge, ranking them among the most common causes of preventable deaths. Guidelines for preventing clots are in place, yet studies show that 40% to 60% of patients who would benefit don’t receive appropriate treatments.
Patients are not receiving the anti-clotting drugs because many hospitals don’t reliably administer them and patients sometimes refuse them. No matter the age of a patient, having an advocate to ask the proper questions when receiving treatment is vital.