Ultrasound waves aid in rapid treatment of DVTNovember 24, 2008The use of ultrasound waves for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may help dissolve blood clots in less time than using clot-busting drugs alone, according to researchers at Emory University. The study will be presented Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 at the annual VEITHsymposium in New York City. "These clots are a main cause of both heart attacks and stroke and the more quickly you can eliminate them the better," says Karthikeshwar Kasirajan, MD, assistant professor of surgery in the Emory University School of Medicine. A DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body, most often in the lower leg or thigh. A loose clot, called an embolus, can break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs and block blood flow. The life-threatening condition is called pulmonary embolism. The surgeon general's campaign estimates that every year, between 350,000 and 600,000 Americans get one of these clots - and at least 100,000 of them die.
"We now know that using ultrasound, along with the traditional method of using drugs to break up or dissolve blood clots, will help restore flow, prevent valve damage and also prevent the possibility of pulmonary embolism," says Kasirajan. Researchers treated 37 patients with the clot-dissolving drug called tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), while using ultrasound to loosen the proteins in their blood clots and send the drug into the clots faster. Of the 37, 16 had DVT and 21 had acute in-situ arterial thrombosis. All the patients with arterial thrombosis had their clots completely dissolved, and all but six of the DVT patients had theirs completely dissolved. Four DVT patients had their clots partially dissolved and two saw no change. Only one of the 37 had a complication (neck hematoma). Most of the 37 (83 percent) were subsequently treated with angioplasty and stent placement. Risk factors for DVT include: being immobile for long periods of time, recent surgery, a fall or broken bone, pregnancy, a car crash, birth control pills or menopause hormones. The risk rises with age, especially over 65, and among people who smoke or are obese. Emory University Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size. Infectious Disease Quantum cryptography Biosensor Herbicide Liver Cancer Mental Health Metformin life on Mars Spectroscopy Chronic Kidney Disease Antarctic Brain Disease Pulmonary Hypertension Pneumococcal Circadian Rhythms Immunization Childhood Obesity Kidney Cancer Genome SARS Birth Weight Radiofrequency Ablation Smoking Postpartum Depression Bacterium
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Related Ultrasound Current Events and Ultrasound News Articles The sound of light: Innovative technology shatters the barriers of modern light microscopy Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue. Infants should be screened for hip trouble Developmental hip dysplasia is the most common congenital defect in newborns. The condition occurs when a hip joint is shallow, unstable or when the joint is dislocated. Infants with the condition are often at risk of developing arthritis of the hip as a young adult. Early heart attack therapy with bone marrow extract improves cardiac function A UCSF study for the treatment of heart failure after heart attack found that the extract derived from bone marrow cells is as effective as therapy using bone marrow stem cells for improving cardiac function, decreasing the formation of scar tissue and improving cardiac pumping capacity after heart attack. Rotator cuff treatment provides immediate tendonitis relief A minimally invasive procedure to treat tendonitis in the rotator cuff of the shoulder provides immediate symptom relief to the patient. What should a teenage girl do if she finds a lump in her breast? If a lump is found in the breast of an adolescent girl, she often will undergo an excisional biopsy. First acoustic metamaterial 'superlens' created by U. of I. researchers A team of researchers at the University of Illinois has created the world's first acoustic "superlens," an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and novel underwater stealth technology. Meckel's diverticulum masked by intermittent recurrent subocclusive episodes Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most frequent congenital abnormality of the small bowel and it is often difficult to diagnose. Successful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound The Magnetic Resonance Center of the University Children's Hospital Zurich has achieved a world first break through in MR-guided, non-invasive neurosurgery. A urine test for appendicitis? Appendicitis is the most common childhood surgical emergency, but the diagnosis can be challenging, especially in children, often leading to either unnecessary surgery in children without appendicitis, or a ruptured appendix and serious complications when the condition is missed. Autonomous robot detects shrapnel Bioengineers at Duke University have developed a laboratory robot that can successfully locate tiny pieces of metal within flesh and guide a needle to its exact location -- all without the need for human assistance. More Ultrasound Current Events and Ultrasound News Articles |
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