Pulmonary embolism (page 2)

Junction-Guy

I had blood clots in my leg about 4 years, I was hospitalized twice in the same year. Blood clots can be very painful. My left leg had swollen up twice the normal size, and it locked up on me, I couldnt straighten it out. It eventually returned back to normal.

Im still on coumadin after 4 years, and I wont let my doctor take me off it. I cant eat too many green vegetables, but I've adjusted to it.

I still shave with a bladed razor, and when I nick myself it will bleed a little longer, but other than that I havent had any other side effects.

Junction-Guy

Also I would recommend for you to wear Jobst Socks when you are traveling in a car for long periods of time.

Jobst socks are tight socks that keep the blood from pooling in your lower leg.

my socks are 30-40 pound compression, to the knee.

Ask your doctor if he would recommend them for you.

Sam Beli

During the initial and acute phase of pulmonary embolism you want to be cared for by a pulmonary (chest - lung) physician. They are by far the best trained specialists to take care of this condition.

MsMcDucket

Blood thinning is a, normally, a cascade type procedure. In the hospital, we start the patients on heparin or enoxaparin. Once the Ptt and PT/INR get into a specific range, the doctors start the coumadin/warfarin. It's hard to explain the coagulation blood cascade, but the procedure that I mentioned is *normally* used. The doctor will have the nurse/s or lab monitor the PTT or PT/INR daily. This can be done by a fingerstick on a monitor called an I-Stat (There are probably other kinds of monitors, but this is the one we used.)

Fibrinogen
Also known as: Factor I
Formal name: Fibrinogen
Related tests:Prothrombin Time (PT), activated Partial Prothrombin Time (aPTT, or PTT), D-dimer, Coagulation Factors, Thrombin Time

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The Test Sample

What is being tested?
Fibrinogen is a coagulation factor, a protein that is essential for blood clot formation. It is produced by the liver and released into the circulation as needed along with over 20 other clotting factors. Normally, when a body tissue or blood vessel wall is injured a process called the coagulation cascade activates these factors one after the other. As the cascade nears completion, soluble fibrinogen (fibrinogen dissolved in fluid) is changed into insoluble fibrin threads. These threads crosslink together to form a fibrin net and then stabilize at the injury site. The net adheres there, along with aggregated cell fragments called platelets, to form a stable blood clot. This barrier prevents additional blood loss and remains in place until the area has healed.

Fibrinogen is one of several factors that are called acute phase reactants, which means that fibrinogen levels rise sharply with conditions causing acute tissue inflammation or trauma.

How is the sample collected for testing?

A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm. As an alternative, particularly in pediatric care, the blood sample is drawn by quickly pricking the fingertip with a lancet.

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/fibrinogen/sample.html

MsMcDucket

During the initial and acute phase of pulmonary embolism you want to be cared for by a pulmonary (chest - lung) physician. They are by far the best trained specialists to take care of this condition.

This is true! After the surgeon managed to intubate my right mainstem bronchus causing a tension pneumothorax not even the anesthesiologist could figure why I was going down hill. I was on the ventilator and they were about to *blow up* my lungs! The pulmonologist came in and took one look at me and the ET-Tube and told the doctor/staff "I suggest you pull the tube back!"

PinTail

Ah, a fellow mutant. I too am Factor V also, I have been in the hospital seven times for blood clots in my left leg and upper thigh (ouch), I also have had a clot in my right lung with my first clots, and then one in my left lung and one in my right shoulder, I hate them. I take Warfarin also, I am a lifer for that drug, been on it for thirteen years. I were support hose, or my leg hurts like a Mo #@*. Hootie Hoo

PinTail

Factor 5 people are cloters, Factor 8 people are bleeders (basicly.) Better get out of your car at every rest stop if your going on a trip, and walk around and jump up and down for a few min, or it might be your last trip.

Hootie Hoo,

Insomniac

Thanks to everyone for the advice and info. I'm still feeling jittery about this whole thing, but it'll be alright. I'm hoping my big bro will take good care of himself, and take those blood thinners religiously; he's too cool a guy to die of something as b.s. as a blood clot, of all things.

Pulmonary embolism

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