Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
When you are an inpatient at Kingston Hospital we may recommend the following blood thinning medications for you:
- dalteparin, or
- fondaparinux.
Why we recommend blood thinners
We may recommend blood thinners for the following reasons.
- Your reduced mobility in hospital can increase the risk of blood clots.
- You have a condition that increases the risk of blood clots, such as an irregular heart rhythm, cancer or COVID-19.
- You need treatment for an existing blood clot.
- You have risk factors which can increase your risk of blood clots while in hospital (for example pregnancy, increased weight or increased age).
- You take medication which can increase your risk of blood clots (for example HRT/hormone replacement therapy or hormonal contraception).
- You are having a type of surgery which may increase your risk of blood clots (for example abdominal, hip or knee replacement surgery).
Length of time on blood thinners
Many patients only need to use blood thinners while they are in hospital.
Others may need to keep taking them after they are discharged from hospital. For example after certain types of surgery, or if they have a blood clot.
If you need to keep taking them, we will discuss this before we discharge you. We will explain how long you may need to take them, how to use them safely, and any follow-up arrangements.
Risks
Blood thinners can help prevent blood clots, but they can also increase the risk of bleeding.
Before we prescribe them, we assess both your risk of developing blood clots and your risk of bleeding. We only recommend blood thinners if we consider the benefits to you are greater than the risks.
Speak to your doctor, nurse, or midwife if you are worried about bleeding or bruising.
About dalteparin
Dalteparin (brand name Fragmin) is a blood thinning medication that we may prescribe for you. We inject it into the skin on your abdomen (tummy), outer thigh or outer upper arm, once or twice a day.
Dalteparin helps to reduce the risk of you developing either:
- blood clots in your legs (known as a deep vein thrombosis or DVT), or
- blood clots in your lungs (known as a pulmonary embolism or PE).
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Dalteparin is derived from pigs. This means it may be unacceptable for some patients, due to faith or lifestyle factors. If you need more information on this, speak to your doctor, nurse or midwife. For these patients, we can prescribe a blood thinning medication called fondaparinux. |
About fondaparinux
Fondaparinux (brand name Arixtra) is a synthetic (artificially made) blood thinning medication. It is not derived from animal products. We inject it under your skin once a day.
It reduces the risk of you developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). We can also use it to treat DVT and PE.
Risks of fondaparinux
- Fondaparinux may not be suitable in some cases, such as severe kidney disease.
- If a patient bleeds while taking fondaparinux, we are unable to use medication to reverse its blood-thinning effects. (If a patient bleeds while taking dalteparin, we can use medication to reverse its blood-thinning effects.)
- The blood-thinning effect of fondaparinux lasts longer than with dalteparin. This can cause some surgical procedures to be delayed.
We will discuss the suitability of these medications with you, and answer any questions that you may have.
More information
Kingston Hospital on deep vein thrombosis (DVT), in particular the section on preventing clots while in hospital.
Contact information
Kingston Hospital Haematology department