Can Blood Thinners Save Lives of COVID-19 Patients Largely?

More than 50% of the lives can be saved by prescribing COVID-19 patients with a definite set of blood thinners as per definite set of norms.

Guidelines to be followed during covid-19 situations for using the blood thinners reduce the mortality rates in the covid-19 patients by almost 50%, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota medical school, published in the peer-reviewed magazine University of Minnesota Medical School

National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, is the nation's medical research agency, supporting scientific studies, that has come up with a new fact sheet, that reveals that COVID-19 patients who are developing abnormal blood clotting due to high inflammation are at a higher risk that could be fatal at times. To find suitable ways to decrease blood clotting because of COVID-19 prescribed blood thinners can be used, as per the newly formulated guidelines, as suggested by the researchers from the Basel University in Switzerland and the University of Minnesota.

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‘A protocol to use a set of prescribed blood thinners in COVID-19 patients cuts down mortality by about 50%.’

“We know that COVID-19 causes blood clots that can kill patients,” said lead author SamehHozayen, MD, MSC, an assistant professor of medicine at the U of M Medical School. “But, do blood thinners save lives in COVID-19? Blood thinners are medications prescribed to prevent blood clots in patients with a prior blood clot in their lungs or legs. They also prevent blood clots in the brain secondary to abnormal heart rhythms, like atrial fibrillation. Blood thinners are the standard of treatment in these diseases, which is why we looked at data to see if it impacted hospitalizations related to COVID-19.”

“We already know that overwhelmed hospitals have a higher risk for death among their patients, so reducing hospitalization may have a positive impact during a COVID-19 surge,” Hozayen said.

Meanwhile, a study published in Clinical Medicine and open-access platform of LANCET says patients who have already prescribed blood thinners for their medical conditions are less likely to get hospitalized for COVID-19 despite being older, and suffering from chronic medical conditions compared to their counterparts.

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Conclusively, blood thinners, reduce deaths by almost 50% irrespective of whether patients were using blood thinners before COVID-19 infection or after.

More importantly, blood thinners benefited the hospitalized patients with COVID-19, irrespective of the dosage levels offered.

“Unfortunately, about half of patients who are being prescribed blood thinners for blood clots in their legs, lungs, abnormal heart rhythms, or other reasons, do not take them. By increasing adherence for people already prescribed blood thinners, we can potentially reduce the bad effects of COVID-19,” Hozayen said. “At M Health Fairview and most centers around the world now, there are protocols for starting blood thinners when patients are first admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 — as it is a proven vital treatment option. Outside of COVID-19, the use of blood thinners is proven to be lifesaving for those with blood coagulation conditions.”

Further, subsequently, the study progresses to make sure that the results are concurrent and consistent for other medical centers in other parts of the world, and other demographical populace also, without being limited to Caucasians or the hospitalization setups in the advanced countries like the USA or Switzerland.

Current research is on to find out the results in healthcare facilities in Egypt, smaller hospitals, and in diversified populations around the world.

Source-Medindia