For thousands of years the bark and leaves of the willow tree have been used for alleviation of fever, aches and pains. The Ebers Papyrus, which dates from 1500 BC and is one of the oldest surviving medical texts, mentions the use of willow as an important component of Ancient Egyptian pharmacopeia. However, it wasn’t… Read More…
In a study of Danish women, oral contraceptive pills containing estrogen and progestin were associated with increased risks of stroke and myocardial infarction (MI). Variations in risk according to estrogen dose and progestin type were modest. The risk of thromboembolic complications with the use of hormonal contraception is an important issue scientifically and is relevant… Read More…
Salicylates hold an enduring place in the history of medical therapeutics. Hippocrates suggested salicin-rich preparations of willow bark and myrtle for the treatment of pain and fever in the 5th century B.C.E., and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) was first marketed as a purified drug by Friedrich Bayer & Co. as far back as 1899[1]. From the… Read More…
Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis has been proven to reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism in both surgical patients and acutely ill medical patients. In surgical patients, thromboprophylaxis has been shown to reduce the incidence of fatal pulmonary embolism and the rate of death from any cause; in medical patients, studies have shown that thromboprophylaxis is associated with… Read More…
If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, what are two ounces of prevention worth? While a student of algebra might confidently answer “Two pounds of cure,” an economist might mutter something about the marginal utility of additional units of prevention. Who is correct might depend entirely on the situation under study…. Read More…
“I do not like to state an opinion on a matter unless I know the precise facts.” - Albert Einstein, quoted in The New York Times, August 12, 1945. Well, Professor, the facts are these: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common and potentially fatal problem. Once clinicians have overcome the hurdle of accurate diagnosis and… Read More…
