8/6/2023 0 Comments Blood viscosityBecause of this, blood thinning medications did little for the patients, as they work to slow the mechanisms by which coagulation occurs rather than reduce the viscosity of the blood itself. The Emory patients all had extremely high levels of fibrinogen, a big sticky protein, which increases with inflammation and is one of the key building blocks of a blood clot. The sickest Emory patients had the highest plasma viscosity levels, more than double what is normal in some cases, and were more likely to have blood clots. Health Services Laboratories in London is also on the case, using blood viscosity tests to monitor inflammatory status in certain groups of Covid-19 patients, exploring the possibility that high inflammatory markers might indicate the need for alternative strategies for stroke prevention in these patients.Īnecdotal reports about the thick blood of Covid-19 patients have poured in from clinicians around the world, and a study recently published in The Lancet has now found that critically ill Covid-19 patients in Emory Healthcare’s intensive care unit (ICU) had plasma viscosity levels above the normal range. Clinicians have been carrying out viscometry tests on all Covid-19 patients to establish a link between blood viscosity and the viral disease, and explore how it may relate to disease severity and recovery. They work by drawing a small sample of plasma through a narrow capillary using a constant pressure and measuring the time taken for the sample to move a known distance.Īt Addenbrookes Hospital in the UK, the company’s equipment is now being used to explore how best to understand and treat Covid-19. Benson Viscometers, based in Haverfordwest, Wales is the market leader in the UK and Ireland for clinical viscometers, instruments which can be used to measure the viscosity, or thickness, of blood.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |