VTE

SUDDEN DEATH- Venous Thrombo Embolism (VTE)

with No Comment update

SUDDEN DEATH

Venous Thrombo Embolism (VTE)

A man admitted into hospital following a road traffic accident appeared to be making an excellent recovery. He was well-known locally and was chatting heartily with visitors one afternoon but by dusk he had died suddenly.

I observed this as a medical student and was shocked. I have since encountered similar cases involving relatives and colleagues of mine.

A doctor recovering from an operation that went well died unexpectedly while in hospital.

Another doctor died suddenly while recovering at home with one leg in an orthopaedic plaster.

A woman recovering smoothly from a brain operation was about to be discharged home when she suddenly died.

The clinical explanation for these deaths is
Venous Thrombo-embolism (VTE).

This is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombosis) forms in a vein. A chunk of this clot may break off and be carried in the blood stream to the lungs (this is called ‘Pulmonary Embolism ’, PE).

Immobilisation due to surgery or other medical conditions predisposes to clot formation. Obesity and genetic factors increase the risk but VTE could happen to anybody.

If the dislodged clot is large enough it will cause instant death. If it isn’t, there may be time to treat PE. If untreated, death will occur in most cases.

VTE
VTE

It is not only after a surgical operation that VTE may occur.

It can occur from prolonged immobilisation, as in

(1) long-distance travel – more than 4 hours by air or by road.

2) long period of bed rest in persons who are chronically ill.

Globally, venous thromboembolism (VTE) commands insufficient attention. This is regrettable because it carries a high mortality rate.

The best treatment is prevention.
This includes ambulation, hydration, use of compression stockings and blood-thinning injections. These measures have been shown to be very effective but under-utilised.

The first step towards reducing the number of deaths from thromboembolism is AWARENESS. Unfortunately awareness of VTE in Africa (as in many countries across the world) is low, among health professionals and the public at large.

Let us start today to raise awareness of VTE among Africans.

If you are an African reading this post please share it with your friends (health professionals and the public) and encourage them to spread it in their own networks. Together we can generate swirls of AWARENESS and, who knows, a life saved could be that of your parent, spouse, sibling, friend – or your own.

It is World Thrombosis Month, a month set aside to promote awareness on the dangers of VTE.

Please, let us share this information as wide as we can.

IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN RELATIONSHIPS

IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN RELATIONSHIPS

with No Comment update

IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN RELATIONSHIPS

When I was single and Rev. Mike Babatunde would tell us ordinary toothpaste can lead to divorce, I thought he was exaggerating. Until a fish-head nearly caused a quarrel between me and my wife.

I’m a typical Ejigbo man. In my town, it is the man of the house who eats the head of a fish. The man is the head, so it’s believed that he deserves nothing but the head. Whenever anything is slaughtered, be it fish or goat or cow, the head belongs to the man of the house. The only time he eats other parts is when the head has been eaten by him.

So I went into marriage with that “fish-head-belongs-to-me” mentality.

The first day my wife cooked, I was expecting a big fish-head, only to see the tail in the soup. What! I looked at her side, she served herself the middle. Why would she leave heads in the pot? I wondered. Who else is more important than me that wants to eat those orí-ẹja?

It was too early to complain. So I didn’t talk.

The following day. She served me the middle. She also ate another middle. I was angry, but I didn’t talk.

When my anger reached the peak was when she wanted to eat and put one head on her food. I concluded my wife was arrogant. How would she take what belonged to me, the husband?

Then I asked, “Why do you want to eat the head when it actually belongs to me?” She was surprised. “You mean you like fish-head?” she simply asked.

Where she came from, the head of a fish is no-fish at all. It’s usually left till all other parts are eaten before it’s served. So the head is the least important part of a fish in their house.

Strange. Clash of cultures. Clash of upbringings. Clash of orientations.

She actually wanted to serve me the best. In order to achieve that, she took the least important for herself. But here I was fuming that she was arrogant. Come to think of it, why can’t my wife eat what belongs to me?

Many have scattered their homes all in the name of assumptions. Many have quarreled all in the name of ego. Many have accused their spouses all in the name of culture. Many have divorced all in the name of little things that children would laugh over.

Why? Lack of effective communication.

Don’t assume. Ask questions. Don’t boil. Don’t be mad. Just ask. Talk to him. Talk to her. By the time s/he tells you what really happened, you’d realise it’s actually something you both should laugh over.

Your marriage will prosper.

Copied
Ladi Alebiosu