Near East University, Vice Dean of Faculty of Nursing, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz attended the 16th International Surgical Nursing congress in Antalya.

According to the press release issued by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations of Near East University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz a panellist and the moderator of a session at the congress. It was stated that she did a presentation titled as “Patients who use anticoagulants” at the panel was on “Nursing of Surgical Patients who have associated diseases”. During her presentation she provided details on the definition of anticoagulant drugs, their adverse effects, and issues to be cautious about while using the medication.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz further explained that anticoagulant drugs eliminate or reduce blood clotting and that these drugs are often called blood thinners. However, she stressed that they do not really thin blood and helped prevent or break up dangerous blood clots that form in blood vessels or heart. Without treatment, these clots can block blood circulation and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz added that anticoagulant drugs such as heparin and warfarin (also called Coumadin) slowed down blood clotting and antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin and clopidogrel were important in cardio-vascular diseases and in the primary and secondary treatment of embolic cases.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz: “Bleeding is the most encountered side effect of anticoagulant drugs!”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz explained that the most knwon side effect of anticoagulant drugs was bleeding and pointed out that low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) caused less bleeding compared to standard heparin. LMWH is a class of anticoagulant medications which are used in the prevention of blood clots and treatment of venous thromboembolism and in the treatment of myocardial infraction. Moreover, she explained that heparin was a naturally occurring polysaccharide that inhibits coagulation, the process that leads to thrombosis. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) which measures how many seconds it takes for the blood to clot was advantageous to use.

“In order to use anticoagulant drugs safely, nurses need to be aware of their significant responsibilities so as to ensure the safety of patients!”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ümran Dal Yılmaz boldly emphasized that nurses were required to be well informed of the drugs used for treatment, their effects and side effects so as to ensure the safety of patients. She said that in order to use anticoagulant drugs safely, nurses need to be aware of their significant responsibilities and assure that patients are administered these drugs safely. She ended her words by pointing out the significance of pharmacological education of nurses.