"Blood thinner" origin??

[Wise]

Mike,

I know that for me the problem I have with "blood thinner" is constantly explaining that my blood is not runny like rubbing alcohol. People who hear "blood thinner" think that if I get a paper cut, that I'll need to go to the hospital for a transfusion. When I say "anticoagulant" I don't get that response. It's more about helping others understand how all this works, so they don't panic when I accidentally staple my finger! LOL

That's the misconception that I worked to help my mother overcome, somewhat. That's the reason I feel as I do. Besides that, the word nerd in me hates to see the inaccuracy in definition so prevalent, especially in the medical establishment. Just my friendly input.

 

[Eva]

WEBMD.COM' excerpt:

Quote:
"Anticoagulants, often called blood thinners, are medications that slow the clotting of blood. They do not actually thin the blood but increase the time it takes a blood clot to form."
Unquote

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/safety-tips-when-taking-anticoagulants-topic-overview

 

[catwoman]

That's the misconception that I worked to help my mother overcome, somewhat. That's the reason I feel as I do. Besides that, the word nerd in me hates to see the inaccuracy in definition so prevalent, especially in the medical establishment. Just my friendly input.

Wise:

I'm a fellow nerd. Guess it's because I've been a professional wordsmith for far too long.
I try to educate my friends and others as to what warfarin/Coumadin is & does. My closest friends know I have an INR tester; some have seen me tote it to a cat show on weekends.
Last weekend, I judged at a show in San Antonio. I shared a room with another judge (to help the club with expenses). I was resetting my alarm clock -- one that I don't ordinarily use -- and Barbara said, "Are you running a test?"
I laughed and said, "No. Wish my machine was this small though!"

 

[Duff Man]

I just say blood thinner instead of anticoagulant because no one knows what the hell i'm saying unless it's a doctor or I'm talking to you guys. Even then, I just say blood thinner.

 

[Wise]

Wise:

I'm a fellow nerd. Guess it's because I've been a professional wordsmith for far too long.
I try to educate my friends and others as to what warfarin/Coumadin is & does. My closest friends know I have an INR tester; some have seen me tote it to a cat show on weekends.
Last weekend, I judged at a show in San Antonio. I shared a room with another judge (to help the club with expenses). I was resetting my alarm clock -- one that I don't ordinarily use -- and Barbara said, "Are you running a test?"
I laughed and said, "No. Wish my machine was this small though!"

I enjoyed that story. How funny!

I goes to show that you don't understand what you haven't been informed about.

Word nerd or not, anticoagulant or blood thinner, this site is a God send to so many people. It takes all kinds of people to make it what it is, even if some of them are nerds and proud of it too.

p.s. Marsha, we saw the beautiful Blue Russian kitty on Regis & Kelly Live; He won top cat at Madison Square Garden recently. He was a gorgeous cat. Sorry for the hijack.

 

[catwoman]

p.s. Marsha, we saw the beautiful Blue Russian kitty on Regis & Kelly Live; He won top cat at Madison Square Garden recently. He was a gorgeous cat. Sorry for the hijack.

Yes, he is beautiful.
I got to judge him last March in the Atlanta GA area. He was my best cat.

 

[RCB]

How does a thread change from from idiot to cat?

How does a thread change from from idiot to cat?

So strange!


From one who actually was taking warfarin in the early years:

Little was known about the algorithm of the coagulation cascade (the process by which normal blood undergoes physiological changes resulting in a clot). However, early tests for clotting times involved taking a sample of blood in to a capillary tube and tilting it back and forth till it slowed down and then would not move (a clot). To the novice, a guess was that the viscosity (thick and thin have traditional been used to describe this phenomena since Newton?s time-low viscosity fluids like water were said to be thin, high viscosity fluids like honey were said to be thick) had changed resulting in a very thick gel-like consistancy which then dried to a crust. Remember, scientists were interested in the mystery of blood clotting several centuries before flow cytometry and all the whiz-bang stuff that a research lab has today. It wasn?t till the late ?40 with the discovery of Factor V that science really began to understand the process. By that time, many had long adopted the viscosity model and were slow to change nomenclature. Note that over 60 years later, you can hear medical profession use the term ?thin? which is used to describe viscosity, when what they are describing (coagulation) has nothing to do with viscosity. However, the convention (thick and thin) has been used for so long it has been adopted by almost everyone. Remember, the practice of medicine is considered an art not a science and therefore hardly precise. It reminds me of the old George Carlin (RIP) bit about doctors ?Practicing medicine!?

As far as I know, they are still discovering more about how the ?cascade? works today -
Ah? the wonderful mysteries of biology.

 

[Ross]

So strange!


From one who actually was taking warfarin in the early years:

Little was known about the algorithm of the coagulation cascade (the process by which normal blood undergoes physiological changes resulting in a clot). However, early tests for clotting times involved taking a sample of blood in to a capillary tube and tilting it back and forth till it slowed down and then would not move (a clot). To the novice, a guess was that the viscosity (thick and thin have traditional been used to describe this phenomena since Newton?s time-low viscosity fluids like water were said to be thin, high viscosity fluids like honey were said to be thick) had changed resulting in a very thick gel-like consistancy which then dried to a crust. Remember, scientists were interested in the mystery of blood clotting several centuries before flow cytometry and all the whiz-bang stuff that a research lab has today. It wasn?t till the late ?40 with the discovery of Factor V that science really began to understand the process. By that time, many had long adopted the viscosity model and were slow to change nomenclature. Note that over 60 years later, you can hear medical profession use the term ?thin? which is used to describe viscosity, when what they are describing (coagulation) has nothing to do with viscosity. However, the convention (thick and thin) has been used for so long it has been adopted by almost everyone. Remember, the practice of medicine is considered an art not a science and therefore hardly precise. It reminds me of the old George Carlin (RIP) bit about doctors ?Practicing medicine!?

As far as I know, they are still discovering more about how the ?cascade? works today -
Ah? the wonderful mysteries of biology.

Another of your answers that make more sense then any we've come up with, which means you should get back in here.

 

[Marty]

RCB, you are indeed a "goldmine" for historical information- a living history. Well, mystery solved.Thank you.

 

[catwoman]

Thank you!

Thank you!

RCB:

Thank you for the explanation. I agree with Ross, your answer makes more sense than any other I have seen.

BTW, from idiot to cat: None of my cats are idiots. One or two may be a little slow and reluctant to chase a mousie , but other than those, mine are pretty darned smart.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I worked as a Phlebotomist in 1980-1981, right after I graduated from high school. I remember even then doing the "clotting time" test that RCB is referring to. At that time, we were already doing PTs and PTTs, but some of the older doctors still insisted on the clotting time. They were such a pain, because some of them took "forever" to clot and you had to go back every 15-30 sec and tilt!

 

[pamela]

Woe with me?..If I only had picked a tissue valve I would not even read these "blood thinner" threads

I beg to differ. I've been anti-coagulated for 6 weeks now, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. My PCP and I discussed needing Coumadin therapy for the clot that won't absorb in my sapphous vein. I have a tissue valve.

 

[Ross]

I beg to differ. I've been anti-coagulated for 6 weeks now, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. My PCP and I discussed needing Coumadin therapy for the clot that won't absorb in my sapphous vein. I have a tissue valve.

Pam Cooker is being a joker as usual. If you need help with your INR and Coumadin, we are here. Hopefully you've learned what is true and what is BS about the drug, but if not, just ask and we'll help you out.