Deep Vein Thrombosis

What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis?

DVT is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body

Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together

Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh

What Is Pulmonary Embolism?

• A blood clot in a deep vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream
• The loose clot is called an embolus
• When the clot travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow, the condition is called Pulmonary Embolism
  
  
  
  DVT Natural History
  

What Is Pulmonary Embolism?

• PE is a sudden blockage in a lung artery, usually due to a blood clot that travelled to the lung from a vein in the leg

Facts About VTE

• Pulmonary Embolism is a very serious condition
• It can damage the lungs and other organs in the body and cause death
• Blood clots in the thigh are more likely to break off and cause PE than blood clots in the lower leg or other parts of the body
• Blood clots also can form in the veins closer to the skin's surface
• However, these clots won't break off and cause PE

Additional Facts about Pulmonary Embolism

• At least 100,000 cases of PE occur each year in the United States
• PE is the third most common cause of death in hospitalized patients
• If left untreated, about 30 percent of patients with PE will die
• Most of those who die do so within the first few hours of the event
  
  

Such factors include surgery, serious injury, inflammation, or an immune response

Blood clots can form in your body's deep veins when:

1. Damage occurs to a vein's inner lining
• This damage may result from injuries caused by physical, chemical, and biological factors
• Such factors include surgery, serious injury, inflammation, or an immune response
Blood clots can form in your body's deep veins when:

2. Blood flow is sluggish or slow
• Lack of motion can cause sluggish or slowed blood flow
• This may occur after surgery, if you're ill and in bed for a long time, or if you're travelling for a long time
Blood clots can form in your body's deep veins when:

3. When your blood is thicker or more likely to clot than usual
• Certain inherited conditions (such as factor V Leiden) increase blood's tendency to clot
• This also is true of treatment with hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills

Who Is At Risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis?

• A history of DVT
• Disorders or factors that make your blood thicker or more likely to clot than normal. Certain inherited blood disorders (such as factor V Leiden) will do this. This also is true of treatment with hormone replacement therapy or using birth control pills
• Injury to a deep vein from surgery, a broken bone, or other trauma
• Slow blood flow in a deep vein from lack of movement
• This may occur after surgery, if you're ill and in bed for a long time, or if you're travelling for a long time
• Pregnancy and the first 6 weeks after giving birth
• Recent or ongoing treatment for cancer
• A central venous catheter. This is a tube placed in vein to allow easy access to the bloodstream for medical treatment
• Being older than 60 (although DVT can occur in any age group)

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis?

• Only about half of the people with DVT have symptoms. These symptoms occur in the leg affected by the deep vein clot.
They include:
• Swelling of the leg or along a vein in the leg
• Pain or tenderness in the leg, which you may feel only when standing or walking
• Increased warmth in the area of the leg that's swollen or in pain
• Red or discoloured skin on the leg
• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Pain with deep breathing
• Coughing up blood
• Rapid breathing and a fast heart rate also may be signs of PE

How Is Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosed?

• Based on your medical history, a physical exam, and the results from tests
Assessment of your risk factors for having DVT

How Is Deep Vein Thrombosis Treated?

• Goals of Treatment
• Stop the blood clot from getting bigger
• Prevent the blood clot from breaking off and moving to your lungs
• Reduce your chance of having another blood clot

Medication

Medicines are used to prevent and treat DVT:
• Anticoagulants
• Thrombin Inhibitors
• Thrombolytics

Travel Tips

Medicines are used to prevent and treat DVT:
• Your risk of developing DVT while travelling is small
• The risk increases if the travel time is longer than 4 hours, or if you have other risk factors for DVT
• During long trips, it may help to:
• Walk up and down the aisles of the bus, train, or airplane
• If travelling by car, stop about every hour and walk around
• Move your legs and flex and stretch your feet to encourage blood flow in your calves
• Wear loose and comfortable clothing
• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol
• If you're at increased risk for DVT, your doctor may recommend wearing compression stockings during travel or taking a blood-thinning medicine before travelling

You should speak with your Orthopaedic doctor regarding the best treatment for you.

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