Patients suffering from the rare blood disease, hemophilia, deal with daily demands of their treatment. A recent study supports self-infusion for these patients, reported Harrison Daily Times. Self-infusion is when the patient administers their treatment (usually with a needle into the vein), to themselves rather than being dependent upon a caretaker, nurse or family member. It has shown positive effects to the patient when they perform self-infusion.
Patients with hemophilia have blood that fails to clot, which can lead to excessive bleeding. This can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening at times. Simple day to day activities put one at risk, and careful daily treatment is demanded to live a healthy life. Luckily for these patients, preventative care can be offered to them at home. Not many other rare disease have this luxury, and are required to go to a hospital for assistance. To learn more about hemophilia, click here.
In a recent study, results showed that patients who conducted self-infusion were more likely to have a decreased risk of joint problems that often are onset from excessive bleeding. In the study, 60 adults with the disease, performed self-infusion and the results supported the claim. They were told to make sure their blood clotting levels never fell below normal, 1%. While this is positive, it was also reported that these individuals felt more confident and independent, and were happy with the convenience it provided. It is also believed that being able to self-infuse at home will encourage the patients to keep up with their treatment, rather than disregard for convenience sake.
National Cornerstone Healthcare Services (NCHS) are hoping to help patients become more independent by offering education and support, as well as delivery of medications to their homes. They want to make it easier for the patient to understand the instructions, dosages, side-effects and more, so they can continue to make the right decisions for their health and stay on top of it without requiring the assistance of someone else. NCHS is headed in the right direction to help the quality of life for hemophilia patients.
