What is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE)?
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is blood clot that usually occurs in the leg, most often on one side, although it can happen in other parts of the body. DVT afflicts over 380,000 people per year in the United States. If the blood clot dislodges, it can travel to the lungs and cause a blockage known as a pulmonary embolism (PE) or lung clot. Lung clots affect over 530,000 people a year and 300,000, or almost 1 out of 3, are fatal.
What are the Symptoms of DVT?
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| Posthrombotic Pigmentation |
Watch for these DVT (leg clot) symptoms:
Swelling, usually in one leg
Leg pain or tenderness
Reddish or bluish skin discoloration
Leg warm to touch
Watch for these PE (lung clot) symptoms:
Sudden shortness of breath
Chest pain-sharp, stabbing; may get worse with deep breath
Rapid heart rate
Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus
If you experience symptoms seek medical attention immediately!
Who is at Risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?
Anyone could potentially develop a DVT. The likelihood of developing deep vein thrombosis increases with age, and DVT occurs most commonly over the age of 60. However, there are certain risk factors that increase the chance that any person will develop a deep vein thrombosis. These include:
HIGH RISK
Hospitalization
Major surgery, such as abdominal/pelvic surgery
Knee or hip replacement
Major trauma: auto accident or fall
Nursing home living
Leg paralysis
MODERATE RISK
Older than age 65
Trips by plane over 4 hours (car, train, bus)
Active cancer/chemotherapy
Bone fracture or cast
Birth control pills, patch, or ring
Hormone replacement therapy
Pregnancy or recently gave birth
Prior blood clot or family history of a clot
Heart failure
Bed rest over 3 days
Obesity
Genetic/hereditary or acquired blood clotting disorder
AVERAGE RISK
Active
Younger than age 40
No history of blood clots in immediate family
No conditions or illnesses that heighten clotting risk
Practical Steps to Minimize Risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Try to maintain ideal body weight for your height and gender
- Stay active and try to get regular exercise.
- Avoid prolonged periods of immobility. For example, on a long car trip, stop and walk around every few hours. On an airplane, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, walk the aisles, do calf raises and toe squeezes and avoid alcohol. Wearing elastic stockings with a moderate level of compression (15 to 20 mm Hg) may prevent DVT from developing on long flights.
- Don’t smoke.
- If you have other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or congestive heart failure, work with your doctors to try to keep these problems under good control.
- Talk to your doctors about the risk of thrombosis and the use of blood thinners or compression stockings for prevention of blood clots if you are pregnant, use birth control pills, are hospitalized or have surgery. This is especially important if you have a hereditary thrombophilia.
Deep Vein Thrombosis Testing and Diagnosis
Most often, ultrasound is used to diagnose blood clots in the leg veins. This is a non-invasive test. If the results are not definitive, then venography (an invasive test using contrast dye) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be used. Click here for more details on testing and diagnosis.
Deep Vein Thrombosis Treatment
Venous thrombosis – the clot is in a vein, usually one of the deep veins of the leg (deep vein thrombosis; DVT) and causes swelling and pain. Clots can also break apart and travel to another part of the body and cause another blockage. When this occurs, it is called an embolus. To treat blood clots and prevent the damage they cause, doctors use anticoagulants, which are commonly called blood thinners, to decrease the clotting power of the blood and prevent growth of a clot. The most common blood thinners used today are heparin, low molecular weight heparin, and Warfarin. Click here to learn more about DVT treatment.
Reference: Ornstein DL, Cushman M. 2003 Factor V Leiden. Circulation. 107:e94-e97
Other Resources
National Heart and Lung Blood Institute
A New Perspective on Deep Vein Thrombosis
US National Library of Medicine; NIH
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