Due to a growing need for audit measures, we are currently looking
at the National Patient Safety Agency alert released in March of this
year with a view to issuing a collection of standard reports (for both
Dawn AC version 6 and version 7) to provide the information suggested
by the guidelines.
We are planning to present our proposed solution on how Dawn AC
will help meet these audit measures at our User Group in September,
where Professor Cousins from the NPSA is giving a talk. This should
provide a good opportunity to discuss the reports and gain feedback
from Professor Cousins and the delegates before issuing the final
versions.
These reports will be available in October/November this year.
|
Warfarin is more effective
than Aspirin for Stroke Prevention |
|
Warfarin is more
effective than aspirin for stroke prevention among elderly patients
with atrial fibrillation, and does not appear to increase the risk of
major bleeds, according to a recent trial carried out at Birmingham
University recently.
A randomised trial
was carried out with nearly 1000 patients aged 75 and over with atrial
fibrillation. It was found that the patients who took warfarin had a
52% lower risk of intracranial hemorrhage, hemorrhagic stroke,
ischemic stroke or significant aterial embolism than the patients who
were given aspirin.
Additionally, it
appeared that warfarin did not increase the risk of major hemorrhages
compared to aspirin, according to Jonathon Mont at Birmingham
University.
"These
data lend support to the use of anticoagulation for all people aged
over 75 years who have atrial fibrillation, unless there are
contraindications or the patient decides that the size of the benefit
is not worth the inconvenience of the treatment," the authors wrote.
To view
the full article, follow the link below:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Strokes/tb2/6384
|
Dawn AC Anticoagulation
Software 15th User Group 2007 |
|
This year's user group is shaping up to be another excellent meeting!
Please see our provisional agenda below. It is essential
that we receive your booking forms as soon as possible to save
disappointment.
Following the
success of last years User Group, we have decided to hold the event
again in the popular Rheghed Centre. This is because The Rheghed is
actually much more accessible for everybody to attend, as it is only
two minutes off the M6 Motorway, J40.
The provisional agenda so
far is as follows:
"Anticoagulant Safety Notice and Dawn AC"
Prof David Cousins, UK National Patient Safety
Agency & George Kitching, 4S Dawn Software
"GAS and Safety Risks"
Sr Anne Marie Etherington, Lead Nurse
Practitioner, Glasgow Anticoagulation Service
"An
Integrated Multicenter Solution with DAWN AC v7"
Lisa Vaughn,
RN CACP,
Nurse Clinician,
Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, USA
"How Dawn AC Operates in Belgium University
Hospital"
Stephane Eeckhoudt, PhD, Head of Haemostasis
and Thrombosis Laboratory, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc,
Brussels
"NEQAS – INR Dosing Survey Results"
Dr Rhona MacLean, Consultant Haematologist,
Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield
"Traveller’s Thrombosis"
Dr Patrick Kesteven, Freeman Hospital,
Newcastle upon Tyne
"First Episode DVT: Audit of Short and
Long-term outcome following Warfarin Treatment"
Dr David Wright, Consultant Haematologist, Mid
Yorkshire NHS Trust
"Automation: Embracing New Technologies to
Improve the Safety and Efficiency"
Steve Davidson,
Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist - Haemostasis & Thrombosis Service,
Queens Medical
Centre, Nottingham
"Examination & Assessment of a Suspected DVT"
Sarah Munro, Anticoagulation Sister, Luton
Treatment Centre
"Service Specification for the Nurse Led Management
of Suspected DVT"
Alison Meynell, Lead Nurse/ Anticoagulation
Sister, Luton Treatment Centre
"Implementing NICE Guidelines for
Thromboprophylaxis, the Highs and Lows"
Sue Bacon, CNS DVT, Scarborough Hospital
"Instituting a Seamless Transition from
the Inpatient to Outpatient Arena for Patients Newly Started on
Warfarin With or Without Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH)"
Lyn Oertel, Mass General, USA
"Commissioning of Anticoagulation Services"
Eric
Watts, Consultant Haematologist, Basildon
The
User Group, as many of you know, offers the chance
for anticoagulation providers to share ideas and learn alternative
methods of best practice within Anticoagulation therapy. As well as
the day being informative and beneficial, we try to make the event
enjoyable by providing an evening meal within the package price.
The
North American User Group is going to be held on the 12th October in
Denver, the day before the South West Symposium on Thrombosis and
Hemostasis, also being held in Denver, making this, potentially, a very
informative and worthwhile trip.