Patients urged to stay active in order to avoid ‘silent killer’ clots

Hospital patients have been urged to keep active in order to avoid clots, the main cause of preventable death in the health system.

With blood clots linked to one in four deaths in Ireland, a roadshow highlighting the danger posed by the “silent killer” has begun a tour of 11 hospitals.

The “Stop the Clot” roadshow aims to educate the public about the risk of acquiring venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitals and for up to 90 days after discharge from hospital.

About 5,000 cases of VTE occur in Ireland each year, about half of them hospital acquired.

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Many such clots are preventable. “To reduce the risk of hospital acquired blood clots, patients must be risk assessed to find out if prevention measures should be prescribed and as soon as they are able to get up, get moving and remain active,” according to consultant haematologist Prof Fionnuala Ní Áinle.

“Keeping active and maintaining a healthy diet and weight are two simple lifestyle measures that could prevent this silent killer from affecting you, as a patient. People can help to reduce their risk by making smart lifestyle choices,” she added.

The roadshow runs in the hospitals in the Ireland East Hospital Group between now and October 10th.