Updates from July, 2010 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • David Dansereau 2:25 pm on October 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , gore medical, , nmt medical, ,   

    Gore Medical Products Division Purchases Closure 1 Data from NMT Medical 

     

    The purchase of  this stroke and PFO (patent foramen ovale) data from Closure 1 as well as intellectual property is reported to be ” in the spirit of collaboration and in the interest of advancing scientific and medical understanding”.

    posted by David Dansereau for know-stroke.org


    FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., Oct 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that the Company has purchased the assets and intellectual property of NMT Medical, Inc., including the data related to CLOSURE I, a prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled trial of PFO closure with the STARFLEX(R) Device (NMT Medical, Inc.) versus best medical therapy for the prevention of recurrent stroke and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patients with cryptogenic stroke/TIA and PFO….read full press release

     

  • David Dansereau 4:08 pm on August 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , , , Migraine and PFO treatment, , , PFO Patient Care options, ,   

    Flip Flops, Groin Kicks and Physicians without Heart have no place in PFO Patient Care

    By David Dansereau,MSPT

    I admit, I’ve needed a boost to get back to my know-stroke blog after almost a month away from posting.  You see, I’ve been working hard at expanding my physical therapy business recently but have never lost sight of my goal for this blog and/or for the larger vision of  our non-profit group the PFO Research Foundation, for which I currently serve as Vice President.  It took several recent impactful posts by PFO patients on my blog who shared their stories recently here to get me going again.  I’m not going to say it took a groin kick because this is the exact statement a physician made at our 2011 PFO Summit in Boston last month that has left me short on words until this post.  The recent patient stories I reference you can find here: See Christine’s and Stephanie’s recent posts.  They both highlight the continued need for better patient education for PFO/stroke/migraine.  As I read their stories I had a flashback to our PFO Summit and to the physician who will remain unnamed.
    This physician addressed a roomful of medical professionals and a handful of patients as he spoke at conference about PFO and migraine.  In his presentation he proceeded to describe what advice he would suggest if a friend asked if he should consider PFO closure as an option for managing migraines.  I am paraphrasing because I haven’t yet been given the opportunity to review the replay of the conference, but his advice is stuck in my brain because it was so out of character and inappropriate.  Implying that the patient would be better off “getting kicked in the groin” than having a PFO closed percutaneously is ridiculous, and perhaps riduculous is just the angle this doc was going for, but that was his advice and I infer his medical opinion of PFO closure. Perhaps too, medical advice like this is also exactly why patients like Christine  and Stephanie and many more in our patient group need to have their stories told to demonstrate the need for better, much better care from the medical community.
    My advice to physicians-Stop flip flopping, as many of your colleagues are currently doing when it comes to  deciding how to best treat PFO.  I hope someone from conference will step up and address the flip flop issue here (please comment below).
    My advice to patients- Ask questions,get references,research and list your pros and cons, ask more questions,even if you know the answers may be potentially ugly and by all means get involved to make a difference.  Inquire and learn all there is to know about clinical trials and the device options vs medical management,then once all this work has been completed sleep on it until your gut feels at rest and your heart will then be ready to do the heavy lifting ahead.

    Oh, and speaking of heart, Christine  said it best at the end of her recent post,

    “Always keep an open mind, and even more importantly, an open heart.”
     

  • David Dansereau 7:10 pm on November 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: cumberland RI water quality, , , water quality and stroke risk   

    Could “What’s in Your Water?” increase your stroke risk?? 

    A report released earlier today by Reuters showed a correlation between high arsenic levels in a Michigan district’s drinking water with a nearly two-fold increase in stroke risk for that area studied.  While this is only one study it is an area that is of particular interest, not only in Michigan but especially in many areas throughout the nation with older cities and aging water delivery systems.

    If you’d like to find out what is in your local water supply, I suggest going to a reputable site developed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a DC based non-profit that has compiled a great resource  of almost 20 million records obtained from state water officials to make it easier for you to find out ” What’s  in Your Water?“.

    Interestingly, throughout the country,  EWG’s research has  found 316 chemicals in tap water and many of them are going unregulated.  Go here to check your water source by zip code:  http://www.ewg.org/tap-water.

    Here’s more on this water quality resource:

    EWG’s searchable database of water test results allows the public to check out the quality of the water in their community, and EWG researchers have also compiled an easy-to-use guide to water filtration systems currently on the market, giving consumers some help when deciding which one works best for themselves and their families.  Again,  go here  http://www.ewg.org/tap-water to check your water quality.

    To learn more about the arsenic level in Michigan water and increased stroke risk reported here, go to the Reuters article :

    Arsenic in drinking water tied to stroke risk by Amy Norton
Reported by David Dansereau
Know-Stroke.org


    David Dansereau
    David Dansereau (Know-Stroke.org)
     

  • David Dansereau 6:44 pm on October 27, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , heart disease and childhood-obesity,   

    Obese Kids at Increased Heart and Stroke Risk ? 

     

    Passing Along: Just posted on My-Physical-Therapy-Coach.com

    Childhood-Obesity Study: Young Obese Kids Have Old Hearts

    In this study that looked at childhood-obesity and the changes in the heart, it was the aorta specifically that showed early changes, consistent with the hearts of much older adults.

    Permalink — click for full blog post “Childhood-Obesity Study: Young Obese Kids Have Old Hearts”

    Are “heavy” kids at early risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke ?

     

    Childhood-Obesity Study Says: “YES” !!

     

    Post by David Dansereau

    know-stroke.org

     

     

  • David Dansereau 5:14 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Brett Michaels, , , patent foramen ovale and Brett Michaels, , ,   

    Will VH1 show Bret Michaels’ PFO Closure? 

    According to About.com’s surgery blog Bret Michael’s is scheduled to undergo PFO closure in January.  In this quick poll, I’d like to know how you think VH1 and Bret Michael’s new show Life As I Know It will address the controversial medical topic of PFO closure.

    Should VH1 show Bret’s PFO surgery and discuss the controversy?

     

    According to VH1 Life as I Know It premires Monday October 18th

    View trailers from  VH1′s  Life as I Know It

    To learn more about PFO visit PFO Research Foundation.org

     

    posted by David Dansereau for know-stroke.org

     

    • Brad 8:35 pm on October 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      It’s not necessary to broadcast a procedure that might not even be beneficial.

    • carol Marler 11:21 am on January 27, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      I want to know how he is getting to get this surgery. I have been in need of this surgery and have been told by several cardiologist that the FDA has it on hold and no one can have it!

  • David Dansereau 6:32 pm on October 14, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , pfo awareness, PFO current medical paradox, pfo diagnosis, pfo research, , pfo syndrome, plica and pfo   

    Perhaps PFO needs to be better recognized as a “Syndrome” to get equal treatment 

    “After all, accurate diagnosis and treatment of plica in the knee, or “plica syndrome”, has an accepted surgical option after conservative treatment and medical management has failed.”

    –DP Dansereau, MS,PT for know-stroke.org

    First, here’s some quick background:

    Plica syndrome, while being quite well known to physical therapists and physicians specializing in physical medicine and orthopedics, is not a common term people are aware of, unless perhaps they’ve been diagnosed as it being the possible source of their knee pain.  Plica-syndrome, often characterized by anterior knee pain, is most commonly found along the superomedial aspect of the knee.

    The “plica” is due to remnant embryological tissue that compartmentalizes the knee during fetal development. The plica is sometimes considered  a “vestigial” structure, which means that it has lost its ability to function over time and does not functionally affect an individual whether it is present or absent.  It has been likened to the appendix, which can be a source of pain but lacks significant important function.

    I’ll make a case here for quick comparison that a similar flap, or cardiac remnant in the atrial septum of the heart from fetal development exists.  In the case of this heart anomaly, this “vestigial” structure is often referred to as a patent foramen ovale or PFO.  This left-over fetal tissue  sometimes takes the shape of a flap in some hearts.  Some PFOs have been  described as “tunnel-like” in appearance under autopsy.

    Patent foramen ovale has often been depicted as a defect or an incomplete closure in the walls of the chambers of the heart.  A patent foramen ovale can vary in size but the location is usually the same. As described in the literature, the flap like opening or hole is in the dividing wall (septum) between the upper two chambers of the heart – the left atrium and the right atrium.

    Identifying a PFO is important because a PFO is a potential pathway for a blood clot to escape from the heart and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.   Similarly, the plica in the knee can get trapped and irritated to a point where it impairs normal joint ROM (range of motion) and can cause often less debilitating but still serious limitation to ADL’s (activities of daily living) when compared to the devastating effects of stroke.

    How does this heart defect occur?

    In the womb, all babies have a PFO. This is because a baby does not use its own lungs to filter and oxygenate its blood. Instead, it receives oxygen-rich blood from its mother via the umbilical cord. This blood has been filtered and oxygenated by the mother’s lungs. The PFO allows this blood to be sent directly to the brain, which has a high requirement for oxygen-rich blood during fetal development.

    How common are PFO’s?

    In most people, the two flap-like sections of septum which form the foramen ovale (or hole) fuse together after birth to form a solid dividing wall between the right and left atria. However, in an estimated 15-30% of the population, this area of the heart doesn’t fuse together and remains open or “patent”. This opening makes it possible for blood to cross from the right atrium to the left atrium—this is called a right-to-left shunt. The danger of blood shunting in this manner is that if it contains small debris or a clot it has bypassed the body’s natural filter (the lungs) and can pass directly up to the brain and cause a stroke.  Worldwide, it is estimated that approximately 500,000 people may suffer this type of stroke each year.

    My Conclusion and the current Medical Paradox

    When symptoms arise this is  where my comparison between PFO and Plica go down separate paths.   Here’s how current treatment differs:

    Accurate diagnosis of both symptomatic plica and “symptomatic” PFO remains the predominant challenge.  The main difference is currently only with one syndrome the option of surgical treatment is widely accepted.   Why is symptomatic PFO not being fairly treated as a true medical syndrome?

    I’d love for you to comment below.

    DP Dansereau, MS,PT for know-stroke.org

    More Information / References:

    PFO Research Foundation

    Plica Syndrome

     

  • David Dansereau 4:41 pm on October 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: patent foramen ovale survey, , ,   

    PFO Research Foundation Releases Results of First PFO Patient Survey 

    Follow this link to the PFO Research Foundation to view the survey results

     

  • David Dansereau 4:50 pm on October 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , exercise guidelines for pfo, , , , ,   

    Exercise Guidelines for PFO Patients Needed 

     

    Know-stroke.org-Exercise Guidelines for PFO Patients Needed

     

    The PFO Research Foundation recently met in Washington, DC for its first PFO Summit.  I attended the event and was hoping for both practical and selfish reasons to get some clarity on exercise guidelines from some of the world’s top authorities on PFO.  Instead, what I learned in one of the breakout sessions aimed at developing better guideline documents and educational materials for patients with PFO disorders is that we have a great deal more work to do to get better patient information out there.  I reference a recent post to my blog from Sept. 28, 2010, at know-stroke.org to illustrate this point:

    “I just found out I have a PFO after a cerebellar stroke and ministroke in 27 months. I am 45. Should I be scared to do cardio, how much, how long, what should I avoid? Thanks Dave, I appreciate reading something from someone who seems a lot like me.”

    What should this person do?  Known PFO, positive TIA/stroke and would like to continue exercising/working out.  Is cardio fine?  Are weights OK?  What about swimming?  Climbing at altitude?  Diving?  We know these situations may present increased risk but where do you draw the line?

    Patients are turning to the web and patient forums for guidance clearly because they are not getting answers from their physicians or device manufacturers.  It’s simply not enough to tell patients “you can’t avoid the valsalva maneuver*” in daily life.  No kidding doc, really?  Is that the best advice we can give?

    I learned “off the record” after running a marathon that perhaps (running long distances) was not the best decision for me “down the road” with a PFO occluder on board.   This inside information was shared with me by a physician recently after my primary cardiac physician had cleared me and stated after more than one year post PFO closure “if my legs could carry me that far and my brain was crazy enough to talk my body into 26.2 miles then my heart would be fine”.  OK, so, what is safe?  What should PFO patients be doing for exercise  (or not doing) 1-3 weeks after closure?  How about after 6 weeks?  What is really so special about 6 weeks?  Why not 1 year (or more)?  Should every occluder device have its own post-op protocol based upon the design?  Perhaps.   What about exercise guidelines for known PFO/stroke confirmed without closure like the recent post on my blog I illustrated above.  What about known PFO, no stroke, no closure but enrolled in clinical trial related to migraines?  What about guidelines for that same patient sent home on meds or  following sham closure procedure.  Follow me?

    [Personal Sidebar] I had contacted the device manufacturer that built my heart plug several years ago after I had PFO closure.   I asked them, -NO-I challenged them to get their patient education website completed and build a useful patient resource to assist patients that were in my shoes.  That was well over 3 years ago.  The result: Still no website for patient education.  Nothing.  I’m still waiting…

    Who’s to Blame??

    Blame the FDA, insurance companies, poor clinical trial enrollment, whatever excuse we want to make, this is certainly not “best medical practice”, it is not acceptable and is in fact poor medical practice. As a practicing physical therapist, if I sent someone home after a total hip replacement and didn’t remind them that there were clear post operative hip precautions that they should be aware of following their procedure (and based upon the technique and specific device they had implanted in their body), I could be fired and sued if they went home and blew out their hip because I didn’t educate them.  That is simply part of my job!  Why are heart plugs different?  The last time I checked they were still being inserted directly in the center of our most vital organ.

    “Patients can’t continue to afford to be the pigs here.  Patients are literally putting their “hearts on the line” and deserve so much better.  When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2009  I didn’t recall any pigs passing me with a clinical trial advertisement on their bib.”-DP Dansereau

    I certainly hope this post serves as a challenge to industry and physicians to be more responsible and get our collective acts together to set things straight for patients.  At least that is why I continue to write this blog, and yes, industry, this blog creation was and remains my direct response to your failure to step up and do something.  Truth is, I write most of my content on lunch breaks and late on Friday evenings after my responsibilities as a dad and business owner are complete. (This is at least my excuse why I frequently have typos in my posts.)  I write this blog because in some way it helps patients ask more educated questions and hopefully make their medical care takers stay on their toes, at least that’s what  I’ve been told.  I have no financial disclosures to report, don’t know any venture capitalists, and have no potential gain if PFO closure proves to be a slam dunk for stroke prevention or migraine relief.  I just own the peace of mind that I did something.  Now, I must get back to my patients, and then perhaps go out for a run later this evening when I get done here at work.

    Or should I ?   Who knows?   I’d love for you to comment here if you do….

    Better Exercise Guidelines for PFO Patients

    By David P Dansereau

    For know-stroke.org

    * Valsalva maneuver: A maneuver in which a person tries to exhale forcibly with a closed windpipe so that no air exits through the mouth or nose as, for example, in strenuous coughing, straining during a bowel movement, or lifting a heavy weight. The Valsalva maneuver impedes the return of venous blood to the heart.

     

    • Pam 1:06 am on November 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      My question exactly …. At my one-month post-op appt. today my cardiologist said I should wait another two weeks before I start back to my cardio regime (running, cardio classes, swimming, etc.). Initially, he said four weeks. The question is when does a person reach the point where there are no recommended restrictions for exercise?

    • David 7:57 pm on November 11, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      That is the million dollar PFO/exercise question Pam. I wish I had the answer for you but as you can see even your doc seemed a bit vague with your post-op exercise instructions. I did not go back to unrestricted exercise for almost a year following closure. I was working on restoring balance and stability and these are not exactly “high risk” activities. Because my post exercise instructions were also not that clear I went by what I learned in PT school about the rate of tissues healing. While soft tissue surrounding a joint may not be the same as cardiac tissue I did play it safe knowing that soft tissue injuries “or healing” need 12-18 weeks to fully “remodel”. In PT there is then a re-strengthening phase that goes in stages that often takes up to a full year to return a joint to full strength prior to when it was damaged. While this may be the extreme example, I decided I was not going to take a chance and blow my recovery with my most vital organ at risk. Those recovery guidelines I just outlined were my own and pls. take them for what they are worth but having that knowledge at least helped guide my own healing, both in my heart and my mind. I know you’ll also find out on the web other extreme examples where physicians are telling their patients it is safe to go running day 2-post-op. That’s why the medical community involved with PFO closure needs to do better educating and why we hope to get better guidelines established through our patient led group at PFOresearch.org
      Thank you for your question.
      David Dansereau
      know-stroke.org

    • Michele 3:41 pm on January 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      David,
      I too am in the medical profession, as a retired, R.N. No doubt, it has helped me immensely to be able to ask questions, logical ones, of what to expect post closure. I too, have been met with the same, ‘you’ll be able to go back to work in a few days with a few limitations, like lifting and the like…’ or, ‘you’ll need to take it easy for awhile…’ all the way to, ‘you reallly should not lift anything above 3 pounds for 4-6 weeks…’
      Then of course I was told, by my cardiologisit, of a 10 year old who had the PFO closure done, who, apparently felt well enough to shoot some baskets on day 3, and his device ‘popped out’ and embolized, and he died immediately… And, of course, he told me about the woman, who had her every 6 month echo for 1.5 years, then between the 1.5 and 2 year check up she had a stroke, and the echo revealed a huge scarring tissue in her atrium around/over and behind the implant. She had to have open heart to save her and get teh implant out!
      On teh PFO research foundation FB page, I read of patients with weekly migraines, marked chest pain for 1+ year post closure, and I am left with a sinking feeling…am I a desperate guinea pig?
      ‘If’ the >13 lesions on my brain are in fact stroke sites, why did the 1st neuologist phoo phoo the then 4 lesions as, ‘normal to have one for every decade of life’ (I was 42), one year later, and now 13+ lesions, I was told by my 3rd neurologist, ‘it could be MS, but, because you have a PFO, we have to make sure it is not strokes, from the PFO.’ Then neurologist #4 & #5, concurred, I am having strokes, likey passing emboli through my PFO…’
      I am presently scheduled for Feb. 11 for investigational cath as I am scared of the implant, and want the doctor to first look, and investigate teh secondary shunts, fix them, and then come out and reprot to me just how bad that PFO really looks. If he says, it is huge! well, i guess I will be scheduling a 2nd cath, for closure. (?)
      But, what does ‘return to work’ mean, when you are a mother of 5 young children, still home. (I can’t ‘leave’ work) My toddler will still have emergencies that need rescue. And, if doctors do not give explicit protocol for family members to have the right expectations, then everyone will think wife/mom should be back to business as usual. We have around 10-15 loads of laundry around here weekly. Is pouring a gallon of milk (8lbs) for my toddler, over the weight limit? Can i lift from above my head, and, if so, how heavy should it be? If I catch my kids throw up flu bug, do I need immediate phenergan to make sure I don’t put too much pressure on my new implant,due to massive valsalvaing? should I be in cardiac rehab? Stroke Rehab? What do I report? Should I be working with a PT to gauge my activity tolerance? the days are ticking down to Cath Day…and somehow I am suppose to submit to this implant being put in me, without knowing these answers. And, if you are being told you have had >13 strokes in the last 15 months, do you delay the procedure? And, ‘if’ I have really had >13 strokes, why am I not in stroke rehab?
      Michele~
      (43 y.o. Mother of 6, married 23 years)

  • David Dansereau 5:18 pm on September 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Australian Grant will go towards researching best stroke recovery outcomes 

    As reported by HealthNews.com, an Australian study hopes to make strides at determining which type of stroke rehabilitation protocol is best for recovery following a stroke.   Here’s the article with more stroke recovery information on this important grant…

    With 60,000 Australians expected to suffer from a stroke this year alone, a new study aims to find the best approach to rehabilitation to help sufferers recover more quickly and reduce their stay in hospital.

    After a stroke people need as much physical therapy as possible

    After a stroke, people going through rehabilitation need as much physical therapy as possible to achieve the best results. Now UniSA researchers have been awarded a grant by the National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate a variety of approaches so that patients recover independence and get home as quickly as possible.

    Read the full stroke recovery article at HealthNews

     

  • David Dansereau 3:39 am on July 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: blood thinning after stroke from PFO, , , , ,   

    I am not a rat. I am a stroke survivor that had a congenital heart defect called PFO (patent foramen ovale) and I fought like hell to get it fixed 

    by David Dansereau for Know-Stroke.org

    Life after a stroke can be like living with a ticking time bomb.  The reality is that a second, possibly fatal stroke can very well follow the first.  In 2006, I survived a second stroke and shortly thereafter I vowed to make that one my last.  I researched all my treatment options, and as it turns out after 9 months of frustration I guess you could say I finally “qualified” to have my PFO closed “off label”.   What that really means is essentially my wife and I fought like hell to get a better chance at a treatment outcome we could both live with.   In the end, I weighed medical management (drug therapy) vs. surgically correcting my underlying heart defect.  My stroke could not be attributed to a disease process like hypertension or uncontrolled hyperlipidemia and no drugs or lifestyle modifications were going to be effective at reversing my risk of another stroke without possibly putting me at risk of further potential drug complications.  As the title of this post suggests, I was born with a congenital heart defect called a PFO that caused my stroke, and I decided a drug (yes, also used to kill rats) was not the therapy of choice for me for the rest of my life.

    My decision was not an easy one, but either is rehabilitating from a stroke and I say this cautiously knowing that many reading this may now be faced with the same difficult decision of how to best respond to take back their own health.

    I emphasize, you should speak with your own physician throughout the course of your own therapy and ask plenty of questions.  The decision I made was unique to how I envisioned I wanted to live my life after my stroke.  Your life goals should provide the blueprint for your own health plan, not your insurance carriers plan for your care.

    Honestly, I’ve had this article ready to post for several weeks now.  I actually started this response after a comment that appeared on my blog (know-stroke.org) about alternatives to thinning your blood. In response to my post I was asked through a private comment on my blog why I didn’t just stay on drug therapy after my stroke since Coumadin seemed like the “simple solution” to prevent another stroke.  Well, I have to put this out there that it simply isn’t quite that “simple”.

    Here’s what you should know:

    Yes, Warfarin is still used as rat poison.  This fact certainly got my attention when I was advised to start Coumadin therapy. I hope that you have already researched this medication on your own.  I mention it not to scare you but to make an important point:  If taken in large quantities, Warfarin (brand name Coumadin) can cause severe and even fatal bleeding. When given as a medication however and monitored by blood tests, it is reported to be safe but not without a long list of potential drug complications as reported by the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Pub Med Website.  Here’s what they have to disclose on what side effects this antithrombotic medicine can cause:

    Warfarin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

    • gas
    • change in the way things taste
    • tiredness
    • pale skin
    • loss of hair
    • feeling cold or having chills

    If you experience any of the following symptoms, or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

    • hives
    • rash
    • itching
    • difficulty breathing or swallowing
    • swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes
    • hoarseness
    • chest pain or pressure
    • swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
    • fever
    • infection
    • nausea
    • vomiting
    • diarrhea
    • loss of appetite
    • pain in the upper right part of the stomach
    • yellowing of the skin or eyes
    • flu-like symptoms
    • joint or muscle pain
    • difficultly in moving any part of your body
    • feelings of numbness, tingling, pricking, burning, or creeping on the skin
    • painful erection of the penis that lasts for hours

    You should also know that Warfarin may cause necrosis or gangrene (death of skin or other body tissues). Call your doctor immediately if you notice a purplish or darkened color to your skin, skin changes, ulcers, or an unusual problem in any area of your skin or body, or if you have a severe pain that occurs suddenly, or color or temperature change in any area of your body. Call your doctor immediately if your toes become painful or become purple or dark in color. You may need medical care right away to prevent amputation (removal) of your affected body part.

    Warfarin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

    In case of emergency / overdose

    In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

    Symptoms of overdose may include:

    • bloody or red, or tarry bowel movements
    • spitting or coughing up blood
    • heavy bleeding with your menstrual period
    • pink, red, or dark brown urine
    • coughing up or vomiting material that looks like coffee grounds
    • small, flat, round red spots under the skin
    • unusual bruising or bleeding
    • continued oozing or bleeding from minor cuts

    Even rats it turns out can’t survive for long with all these possible complications of Warfarin (without getting their blood levels checked regularly I guess).  So, don’t be a rat.  If you are using blood thinning meds please get your blood checked regularly.

    Certainly, both drug and device-based therapy for PFO carries risks. Antithrombotic medications, like all medicines, have their long list of warnings, but many times we do not take the time to read the fine print.  PFO closure devices, however, are also associated with device-specific complications such as fracture of device elements, device embolization or thrombus formation.

    Bottom Line:

    Optimal stroke prevention strategies in patients with PFOs have not been established.  I am confident a solution to improving patient care for PFO conditions exists and my involvement with the PFO Research Foundation supports this mission. Yes, I do hold a bias towards PFO closure because my own results have been incredibly positive.   While I did try medical options including antithrombotic medical therapy prior to PFO closure, they did not work in my case.  What I do know is I do think about the long term impact of the implantation of my PFO closure device, because the benefit of PFO closure in patients with stroke has not been clearly demonstrated, and remains unclear and at times controversial.   I hope to help do my part to advance this important PFO research, so I guess you could say I will need to be a rat to help advance the science.

    Resources:

    Pub Med Health

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000634#a682277-sideEffects

    Wikipedia

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin

     

    • Jeannie 3:14 am on July 14, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you for your informative article. I’m beginning to re-think my medical advice about my PFO

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