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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Blood Clot And Irregular Heart Beats

my 87 yr old mother was hospitalized for a blood clot in her heart. The Dr said it was a very large clot. it caused an irregular heart beat. they could not use the paddles due to the poss of the clot causing a stroke. They said it could take 6 to 8 weeks for the clot to thin out. What do you feel her prognosis is? she is 87
Mon, 29 Aug 2016
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hello,
Thank you for your query.

An irregular heart beat alters the blood flow through the heart, sometimes causing stasis of blood flow and leads to clots.

This has a danger of breaking of and traveling (embolism) through the circulation in to the brain, kidney and lungs.
As it is a big clot, if it dislodged there are chances of life threatening complications.

If all goes well and her clot resolves without embolism, her prognosis is good. However, she may need to be on blood thinners and frequent monitoring to regulate heart rate and clotting parameters.

On the other hand if the clot dislodges, there is high risk of stroke, pulmonary embolism and death. Age will make it more difficult for her to fight these complications.
If this happens, there is more than 60% chance of a fatal outcome.
If she is hospitalized, intervention can be done sooner and may reduce the risks.

Caution :
-avoid sudden movements,
- treat a cold/cough immediately
-avoid any sudden shock or alarming her
-take Medications regularly and follow up with her treating physician..

Hope this helps.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
Wish you both good health
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Suggest Treatment For Blood Clot And Irregular Heart Beats

Hello, Thank you for your query. An irregular heart beat alters the blood flow through the heart, sometimes causing stasis of blood flow and leads to clots. This has a danger of breaking of and traveling (embolism) through the circulation in to the brain, kidney and lungs. As it is a big clot, if it dislodged there are chances of life threatening complications. If all goes well and her clot resolves without embolism, her prognosis is good. However, she may need to be on blood thinners and frequent monitoring to regulate heart rate and clotting parameters. On the other hand if the clot dislodges, there is high risk of stroke, pulmonary embolism and death. Age will make it more difficult for her to fight these complications. If this happens, there is more than 60% chance of a fatal outcome. If she is hospitalized, intervention can be done sooner and may reduce the risks. Caution : -avoid sudden movements, - treat a cold/cough immediately -avoid any sudden shock or alarming her -take Medications regularly and follow up with her treating physician.. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Wish you both good health