AN expert in the region has welcomed the first of a new type of anti-clotting drug, which could help save lives.
Dr Patrick Kesteven, a consultant haematologist at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, said the licensing of Arixtra meant UK surgeons had a new method of cutting the risk of potentially dangerous post-operative blood clots.
But Dr Kesteven said the low risk of dangerous forms of clotting after surgery for most people meant that surgeons might only chose to use Arixtra on patients who had already experienced serious clotting problems.
"Where someone has a history of previous deep vein thrombosis, I would encourage surgeons to think about using this new drug," said Dr Kesteven, a World Health Organisation advisor on the dangers of deep vein thrombosis among air travellers.
Arixtra, which the makers say is 50 per cent more effective than the the most widely prescribed alternative, has been licensed for the prevention of unwanted clotting in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery of the lower limbs.
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