Funny how fast time flies, huh? It’s been almost a month since my last post. Oh! Guess what? Medical science is trying to imitate dogs! Have you heard of dogs that can sniff out cancer? Well, scientists are apparently trying to develop a breath analyzer that can do the same, for a variety of other conditions. Check it out at NYTimes: Breath Analyzers, Seeking Telltale Signs of Disease.
A headline reads: “13-year-old killed by pitch in Arizona Little League game“. Why? Commotio cordis: a hit directly over the heart that alters the rhythm and, in the worst case, stops the heart. It’s weird one can forget how dangerous sports could be. Maybe it’s all those sports games you can play on Wii. But you… I mean, I… I definitely didn’t think about the implications of children playing sports… I mean, sure, there’s bound to be a few scrapes here and there but death? It completely jars me out of my cozy niche of fantasy.
On one of my previous posts, I put up some info on ITP. Hmm this is becoming a chain letter (see aforementioned previous post). Anywayz… That previous post was inspiration [aka I stumbled on] the most commmon hereditary bleeding disorder: von Willebrand Disease (VWD). Since I am lazy (as most of you prolly already know since 1. I’m tapering off on my vigilant daily postings and 2. I always seem to have a dozen links in one post and 3. so many of my words are taken directly from the aforementioned links) here’s something from the link:
Von Willebrand disease is caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand factor. Von Willebrand factor helps blood platelets clump together and stick to the blood vessel wall, which is necessary for normal blood clotting. There are several types of Von Willebrand disease.
Von Willebrand disease affects men and women equally. Most cases are mild. Bleeding may occur after surgery or when you have a tooth pulled. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make this condition worse. Bleeding may decrease during pregnancy.
A family history of a bleeding disorder is the primary risk factor. In women with heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, von Willebrand is more common in Caucasian women than in African American women. The majority of women with heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding do NOT have Von Willebrand disease.
I was going to point out, Hey! no wonder the dentist asked if I was on any meds before pulling my wisdom teeth out! š
Since I’m interested in the drugs of treatment, the site says desamino-8-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) helps inĀ certain types of VWD in raising the concentration of von Willebrand factor. Some may be given Alphanate (antihemophilic factor) prior to [invasive] surgical procedures to reduce the bleeding during said invasive surgical procedure (no brackets this time…. I mean, what are surgical procedures if not invasive?) Oh! Others may be given blood plasma or certain factor VIII preps to reduce bleeding as well!
Remember RhoGAM from one of my previous posts? Turns out it’s also used to raise the platelet count in patients with ITP, idiopathic thromocytopenic purpura. ITP is a bleeding condition in which the patient’s blood doesn’t clot as it should, due to, you guessed it, a lower-than-normal platelet count. A simple blood test can ascertain this. To break down the name: idiopathic = cause unknown, thrombocyte = platelet, -penia = lower-than-normal, purpura = purple bruises.
There’s acute ITP and chronic ITP.
Acute ITP generally lasts less than 6 months. It mainly occurs in children, both boys and girls, and is the most common type of ITP. Acute ITP often occurs after an infection caused by a virus.
Chronic ITP is long-lasting (6 months or longer) and mostly affects adults. However, some teenagers and children can get this type of ITP. Chronic ITP affects women 2 to 3 times more often than men.
Treatment depends on how severe the bleeding symptoms are and the platelet count. In mild cases, treatment may not be needed. — NHLBI
There are other treatments for ITP, including RhoGAM.
I’m tired; wanna go back to watching funny videos!!
In Rubin’s Pathology: Clinicopathologic Foundations of Medicine, a textbook of massive proportions, a heading appears:
Erythroblastosis Fetalis is a Hemolytic Disease Caused by Mathernal Antibodies Against Fetal Erythrocytes
What does this mean? Well, in simpler terms courtesy of PubMed Health, erythroblastosis fetalis is a potentially life-threatening blood disorder in a fetus or newborn infant. There are two cases: ABO incompatibility, which is more common and varies in seriousness, and Rh incompatibility, which is less common. The incompatibility occurs between the blood of mother and baby while the babe is still in the womb.
I think many people are familiar with ABO blood types, in which a person may be A, B, AB, or O. But remember there can be a + or – after the ABO designation? That’s the Rh antigen typing. A little trivia:
The distribution of Rh antigens among ethnic groups varies. In American whites, 15% are Rh-negative (Rh D-), whereas only 8% of blacks are Rh D-. Japaneses, Chinese, and Native American Indian populations contain essentially no Rh D- persons. By contrast, in the Basque population, among whom the mutation that causes the Rh D- phenotype may have arisen, the prevalence of Rh D- persons is 35%. —– Rubin’s Pathology
For Rh incompatibile erythroblastosis fetalis, an Rh-negative mother may carry the first Rh-positive child without incident. However, during this pregnancy, the mother develops antibodies that are sensitive to, and would attack, Rh-positive red blood cells (RBCs) if she has a second Rh-positive child. A graphic depiction would be:
Thankfully, with RhoGAMĀ®, administered within 72 hours of delivery, the incidents of Rh incompatible erythroblastosis fetalis have fallen.
As for ABO incompatible erythroblastosis fetalis, although it’s now more common than Rh incompatible erythroblastosis fetalis, rest assured, for prevention is possible with exchange transfusions and phototherapy.
So, ladies, talk to your doctor about the possibilities of this not-so-complicated-anymore-complication if you are planning on having a baby. Remember: you can always dump the blame on your husband š because we all know it’s always the guy’s fault :-D.
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