Patients Benefit From Blood Clot Research

The studyplans to involve 30,000 people worldwide and will contribute tosignificant advances in understanding travel related DVT and itsprevention.

Professor Harry Büller from the Academic MedicalCenter in Amsterdam together with Professor Frits Rosendaal from theUniversity Hospital in Leiden, will set up this study in collaborationwith many scientists, including colleagues from Australia.

DVT isjust one form of blood clot, pulmonary embolism is another, being aclot dislodged to the lung. Blood clots affect 2-4 in 1000 people eachyear. Blood clots can be caused by immobilisation from long flights andafter surgery; chemo/radiotheraphy; giving birth; and from oestrogencontained in birth control pills.

"We already have made importantadvances in the diagnosis and treatment of DVT and other types of bloodclots. Blood clots can now be diagnosed within 3 hours by non invasivetesting. Invasive and rigorous testing are a thing of the past",Professor Büller said.

Over the past decade, Professor Büller hasseen a major shift in the treatment of patients diagnosed with bloodclots. Approximately 90% of patients can be treated outside of hospitaldue to the advancement of simple self administering modes of drugdelivery rather than 10-14 day hospital stays where treatment wasadministered intravenously.

The five day meeting will discuss arange of topics concerning etiology, diagnosis, treatment andprevention of blood clots, including new anti clotting agents.