From the Guidelines
A Primary Care Clinician (PCC) is a healthcare provider who emphasizes first-contact accessibility and accountability for the whole person, integrating continuity, comprehensiveness, and coordination of services. PCCs play a critical role in managing complex and chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, and are involved in prevention, diagnosis, and care 1. Their responsibilities include:
- Providing first-contact accessibility and accountability for the whole person
- Integrating continuity, comprehensiveness, and coordination of services
- Managing complex and chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease
- Preventing, diagnosing, and caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease PCCs are essential in primary care settings, where they are often the first point of contact for patients entering the healthcare system 1. They must stay informed about current and new developments in disease management, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring 1. However, PCCs often face challenges, such as limited time and energy, insufficient specialist resources, and discomfort with making diagnoses, particularly for complex conditions like Alzheimer's disease 1. Despite these challenges, PCCs are vital in providing high-quality, patient-centered care, and their role is crucial in improving patient outcomes and satisfaction 2.
From the Research
Definition of PCC
- PCC stands for Prothrombin Complex Concentrate, which is a type of blood clotting factor concentrate used to reverse the effects of warfarin, a blood-thinning medication 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Uses of PCC
- PCC is used to rapidly reverse warfarin anticoagulation in patients with life-threatening bleeding or those who require urgent surgery 3, 5, 6, 7.
- It is also used to correct coagulopathy in geriatric patients on warfarin with intracranial hemorrhage 6.
Comparison with Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP)
- PCC has been shown to be more effective than FFP in reversing warfarin anticoagulation, with faster INR correction and less volume overload 4, 6, 7.
- PCC has also been associated with a lower risk of post-transfusion volume overload and thromboembolic events compared to FFP 7.