CLOT Committee Vacancy

We are seeking a new committee member to help with the running of CLOT and conference organising. You should have received an email regarding this but if anybody is interested please contact me or submit a short CV and expression of interest. We would like to have somebody in place before the next meeting and conference in October. Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

CLOT & The British Society of Haematology

CLOT were again invited to help put on a session at the BSH annual scientific meeting which took place in Liverpool this year, Rachaell Hunter spoke around the psychological consequeces of VTE a talk she had previously shared with us at our annual conference. This was a well attended session and we are delighted to be invited back to present again at their conference in Glasgow in 2019. We also were able to sponsor a CLOT member to attend her first BSH conference and below are her thoughts on this.

The BSH conference of course is tailored for haematologist so most of the talks I’ve attended are highly technical. I still found them very helpful in the sense that I had the chance to see it from a doctor’s perspective which I think is way different from our take as nurses. Doctors take care of the technicalities in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. And nurses help make the patient’s experience better. We fill in the gaps for the doctors and patients which from the patient and family’s point is the most important part of the experience.  But to be able to do that, nurses also need to have a good understanding of the disease, the investigations required and the treatment and evaluation of treatment, so we can explain it to patients in the best way possible every step of the way- which the conference have provided partially. What I would really like to see in the next conference are speakers from other members of the MDT that works with patients with haematological problems and share their expertise in that speciality. Patients are looked after by the multi-disciplinary team and not just an individual hence learning should also be multi-disciplinary.  

The conference next year is the 1st to the 3rd April in Glasgow hopefully more members can attend and submit abstracts

The use of the gekoTM device and the activation of the foot and calf pumps for prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with acute stroke

Current UK practice for DVT prophylaxis, in acute stroke, is based upon data from the CLOTS 3 study and routinely comprises of IPC or a prophylactic-dose of Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH), when the bleed risk is reduced. However, regardless of the merits of these interventions, a large number of patients remain contraindicated to these therapies leaving them exposed to developing DVT (Deep Vein thrombosis) or PE (Pulmonary Embolism).

The Royal Stoke University Hospital, UHNM NHS Trust have conducted a clinical audit to assess patient compliance to a new neuromuscular electrostimulation device called the geko™ device, to evaluate its VTE prophylaxis capability in patients admitted for either ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Patients unsuitable for VTE drug prophylaxis or contraindicated to IPC were prescribed the geko™ device.

The audit included 455 patients. In total 6/455 (1.3%) patients developed symptomatic VTE (3 DVTs and 3 PEs) within 90 days. Of these, 4 patients (1.6%) were prescribed IPC, 1 patient (1.3%) was prescribed the geko^TM device as a secondary intervention and 1 patient (1.5%) patient was prescribed anticoagulation. There was no DVT or PE in patients treated with the geko^TM device as the primary VTE prophylaxis.

Jodie Williams, Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, UHNM NHS Trust says, “The audit has proven the geko™ device as well tolerated and its introduction has marked a significant change in our VTE nursing practice on the acute stroke ward. The device is easy to fit and patients are much easier to mobilize. We now routinely check that patients are fitted with either the geko™ device or intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) on our wards rounds. These checks provide confidence that all at-risk acute stroke patients are compliant with one of the available mechanical VTE interventions at all times”.

Dr Indira Natarajan, Consultant Stroke Physician and Clinical Director of Neurosciences at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, UHNM NHS Trust comments, “The geko™ device is a new paradigm in antithrombotic therapy for acute stroke. The clinical audit has revealed that we are aligned to the CLOTS 3 study which reports as many as 36% of patients are contraindicated or become intolerant to IPC. It is to this unmet need cohort that we now routinely fit the geko™ device, and this has ensured that all acute stroke patients can now receive VTE prophylaxis, where previously no prophylaxis was given”.

The geko™ is a battery powered, disposable, neuromuscular electrostimulation device designed to increase blood flow in the deep veins of the leg. The geko™ gently stimulates the common peroneal nerve activating the calf and foot muscle pumps increasing venous, arterial and microcirculatory blood flow. The blood flow increase is equal to 60% of walking, without a patient having to move or exert energy.

About Firstkind and Sky Medical Technology Ltd

Sky Medical Technology, the parent of Firstkind Ltd, is a highly innovative UK based medical devices company that has developed a ground-breaking neuromuscular electrostimulation technology platform, OnPulse®. The company develops a range of products tailored to the needs of different medical application areas selling both direct and through strategic partnerships or distributors in each major clinical area. Clinical areas of interest include oedema control, DVT prevention, wound healing and elite sport recovery. The goal in each clinical area is to improve clinical outcomes and patient care whilst saving health system resources.

For more information visit: http://www.gekodevices.com

About CLOT

The diverse professional membership includes nurses, pharmacists, doctors, biomedical scientists and other allied healthcare professionals.

The growing network of members work in a variety of specialist settings including:- 

•     Anticoagulation & DVT Services
•     Use of the DOAC's
•     Thrombophilia
•     Thromboprophylaxis
•     Allied services
•     General practice

For more information please visit: http://www.clotuk.com/ 

About North Midlands NHS Trust

The stroke service is jointly provided by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership Trust. They have a combined acute stroke unit (hyper-acute beds and acute beds) and a specialist stroke rehabilitation unit at Haywood Hospital.

For more information visit: http://www.uhnm.nhs.uk/OurServices/pages/Stroke.aspx

Media contact:

Sue Davenport 
+44 (0)1494 572044 
Sky Medical Technology Limited 
Hawk House 
Peregrine Business Park 
Gomm Road 
High Wycombe 
Buckinghamshire 
HP13 7DL 
United Kingdom

Anticoagulation Awards entries open

The Anticoagulation Achievement Awards 2018 are now open and invite applications from individuals and teams who provide outstanding services across the field of anticoagulation care and management

Open to applications from secondary, community and primary care.

Focus will be on evidence that demonstrates proven innovation in practice within delivery of anticoagulation services that benefit patients and the NHS while also evidencing implementation of NICE guidance, Quality Standards and patient-centred care and outcomes

For 2018 there are eight award categories

• Best comprehensive thrombosis management centre
• Best resource sharing information about anticoagulation therapy for patients and carers
• The centre best able to demonstrate adherence to NICE Quality Standards for Atrial Fibrillation
• Best work in prevention of hospital acquired thrombosis (HAT)
• Best work in the prevention and treatment of cancer acquired thrombosis (CAT)
• Best work in the prevention and treatment of thrombosis during pregnancy and the postpartum
• Best on-going management of thrombosis by a community based or primary care service
• VTE Hero (invite nominations from HCPs and Patients)

Full guidance and application forms can be downloaded from www.anticoagulationawards.org