My technical blog

September 8, 2021

Can’t use 28 degrees Mastercard abroad for online transactions

I had no problem with using 28 Degrees mastercard for online transactions in the past in my trips to India, but this time it has stopped giving an alternative method to prove identity (the credit limit question). Therefore it is ENTIRELY USELESS – and there is no way to change one’s phone number either to the local temporary Indian number. It only accepts an Australian number.

September 4, 2021

Abbreviations used in medical prescriptions in India

For 20+ years I’ve been used to printed instructions from the pharmacist to tell me how and when to take medicines. In India, however, an older model continues – the following terms are used:

OD – Daily
BD – Twice a day
TDS (or TD or TID) – Three times a day
BBF – before breakfast

OTHERS

2p – Two Puffs/metered doses of an inhaler

4h (also qqh OR 4′) – Every four hours (number indicated number of hours)

AC – Before food

BEY – Both eyes

BNO – Both nostrils

CC – With food

HS (Hora somni) – at night before bed time

LE/RE – Left eye/Right eye

MDU (or MD or UT) – As directed by the prescriber

MN (sometimes appears as NM) – Morning and night

OM (or M) – In the morning

ON (or N) – At night

PC – After food

PO – Administer orally

PR – Administer anally/rectally (unless this seems odd, as PRN may mean when required, this should be obvious however as the item will not be a suppository or enema)

PRN – When required

PV – Administer vaginally

QDS (or QD) – Four times a day

SOS – whenever necessity for relief

September 2, 2021

Hematuria with heparin in a cancer patient

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15234-hematuria

FURTHER

https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/complications-anticoagulation-heparin/2005-04

This situation demonstrates the drawbacks of using LMWH in patients with renal failure. It also emphasizes the need to calculate creatinine clearance (CrCl), rather than just serum creatinine in elderly and frail patients. The calculated creatinine clearance in this case is 21 ml/min. At such low ranges of creatinine clearance, LMWH can cause hemorrhaging and should not be used.It is recommended that UFH be used to provide full anticoagulation therapy in patients with severe renal insufficiency. If LMWH is chosen, monitoring should be performed with therapeutic anti-factor Xa activity. The lowest ratio of CrCl levels for patients in this indication category probably varies for different LMWHs, but a safe threshold is likely to be 30 mL/min.

This also seems to have a lot of information: https://reference.medscape.com/drug/calciparine-monoparin-heparin-342169

Significant pathological findings consisting of carcinoma, calculi, renal infarction, infection, benign prostatic hyperplasia and/or adult polycystic renal disease. A thorough and appropriate evaluation of the urinary tract should be conducted in patients on anticoagulant therapy who have gross or microscopic hematuria, since a pathological lesion of variable clinical significance often is discovered. [Source]

FURTHER

Clinical Bottom Line: Adult patients on anticoagulant therapy presenting to the Emergency Department with haematuria require complete genitourinary system investigation. [Source]