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Patient Teaching Sheets
Anticoagulation Therapy | Iron Therapy | Thrombocytopenia (Low platelets)
Anticoagulation Therapy
Medicine: Coumadin (also may be called Warfarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin)
Action: prevents the body from forming blood clots
Dose:________________________________________
Take this medicine at the same time each day. If you forget to take this medicine take it as soon as you remember that day. Do not take two doses in the same day. It is important to tell your doctor if you have missed doses.
Side Effects: bleeding
Signs of Bleeding: bleeding gums, nose bleeds, unusual bruising, dark or bloody urine, black or bloody stool, bad headache, unusually heavy menstrual periods. It is very important that you stop your medication and call the doctor immediately if you have any signs of bleeding.
It is not safe to take Coumadin while pregnant. If at any time while taking Coumadin you think that you could be pregnant stop the medication any call you doctor.
Avoid flossing your teeth and use a soft toothbrush while taking this medication. Use an electric razor when shaving to avoid cutting yourself. You may bruise from injections. Any time that you have a blood test apply pressure to the site for several minutes. Do not participate in any contact sports without checking with your doctor.
Any time you have a clinic appointment, an ER visit, a dental visit or any surgery tell the staff that you are taking Coumadin.
Do not take any other medications while you are taking Coumadin without checking with your doctor. Avoid any product containing aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), birth control pills. Do not consume any alcoholic beverages while taking Coumadin.
Certain foods contain high amounts of Vitamin K, too much Vitamin K can works against your medication. Avoid eating excessive amounts of Vitamin K containing foods: asparagus, beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cheeses, collards, fish, milk, mustard greens, pork, rice, spinach, turnips, and yogurt.
It is very important that you come any have your blood checked regularly to make sure that you are getting the right amount of medication. It is also important that you do not run out of medication. Call for refills; do not wait for your next appointment.
How to call: ____________________________________ (you can call this number any time, day or night with questions, problems, or for refills).
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Iron Therapy
You child has been given a prescription for ______________. It is a form of iron that is used to treat certain types of anemia.
Your child's dose is __________.
Take this medicine at the same time each day. If you forget to take this medicine take it as soon as you remember that day. It is important to tell your doctor if you have missed doses.
Side Effects: constipation, diarrhea, dark stools (*Liquid iron can stain teeth, place drops in the back of your child's mouth or give with juice; brush teeth after giving medicine*)
Iron works best when given with drinks containing Vitamin C- like orange juice. Iron does not work well when given with milk. Try not to give the iron with meals.
Iron is very dangerous when large doses are taken. Even small doses can be poisonous to a small child. Make sure to store iron in a place where young children cannot find it. Iron should always be kept in the original bottle from the pharmacy. If you think that a child has found and ingested any iron it is an emergency. Call the Poison Control Center at 232 - 2120 or dial 911.
It is very important that you come any have your blood checked regularly to make sure that you are getting the right amount of medication. It is also important that you do not run out of medication. Call for refills; do not wait for your next appointment.
How to call: __________________________________________ (you can call this number any time, day or night with questions, problems, or for refills).
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Thrombocytopenia (Low platelets)
Platelets are a part of your blood. When you body does not have enough platelets your blood may not make enough clots. This can lead to bleeding on the inside and outside of your body.
Signs of Bleeding: bleeding gums, nose bleeds, unusual bruising, dark or bloody urine, black or bloody stool, bad headache, unusually heavy menstrual periods. It is very important that you call the doctor immediately if you have any signs of bleeding.
Avoid flossing your teeth and use a soft toothbrush. Use an electric razor when shaving to avoid cutting yourself. You may bruise from injections. Any time that you have a blood test apply pressure to the site for several minutes. Do not participate in any contact sports without checking with your doctor.
Your Medicine: Prednisone (also may be called Prelone, Deltasone, Steripred)
Your Dose: every day
Steroid medications should be taken in the morning. Take this medicine at the same time each day. If you forget to take this medicine take it as soon as you remember that day. Do not take two doses in the same day. It is best to take this medication with food. It is important to tell your doctor if you have missed doses.
Side Effects of Steroid Medications: stomach upset, stomach ulcer, weight gain, mood changes, acne, bone weakness.
Call the doctor if you have severe stomach pain, black stools, unusual swelling, unusual weight gain, bone pain, problems seeing or any sores.
Any time you have a clinic appointment, an ER visit, a dental visit or any surgery, tell the staff that you have low platelets. You should not have any immunizations while taking steroid medications.
Do not take any other medications without checking with your doctor. Avoid any product containing aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), birth control pills. Do not consume any alcoholic beverages when your platelets are low.
It is very important that you come any have your blood checked regularly to make sure that you are getting the right amount of medication. It is also important that you do not run out of medication. Call for refills; do not wait for your next appointment.
How to call: __________________________________________ (you can call this number any time, day or night with questions, problems, or for refills).
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For more information:
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Dowling 3 South
Boston Medical Center
1 Boston Medical Center Place
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 414-5725 | 
