OurHealth

March is DVT Awareness month. DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis), also known as, a blood clot in the leg, affects 2 million Americans a year.

 

Most DVTs occur in the lower leg or thigh. Some of the signs of DVT include redness of the skin, warm skin, swelling of the leg, and pain in the back of the leg. DVTs can occur in the arm, but it occurs rarely.

 

The blood clot in the leg can break off and travel through the bloodstream. Once the blood clot breaks off it is called an embolus . The moving blood clot has the ability to move to the heart and lungs. After leaving the heart, the clot can get stuck in the blood vessels of the lung. This is when a pulmonary embolus (or PE) forms. Pulmonary embolus is the most serious complication of a DVT. Pulmonary embolisms are the most common cause of preventable deaths in hospital patients. There are approximately 300,000 deaths per year from pulmonary embolisms. This is more than annual deaths from AIDS and breast cancer alone.

 

 

DVTs form as a result of lack of blood flow in the leg.  Commonly decreased blood flow occurs during long distance travel. Usually hospitalized patients and those undergoing surgery do not move around a lot and are therefore at increased risk for DVT.  Cancer also increases the chance of DVT. And, women who are on birth control pills are at increased risk. Even conditions such as obesity can lead to an increase your risk of DVT.

 

Most importantly, there are a few rare inherited disorders that cause blood clots to form in the body. If you have a family history of blood clots, it is important to talk to your doctor about getting tested for one of these inherited conditions.  

 

 

When you are traveling it is advised that you stand up and stretch your legs after 4 hours of travel. If you are hospitalized, you will get injections everyday of blood thinners or be asked to wear compression stockings on your legs to decrease your risk of getting a DVT. If you have a form of cancer, your doctor may recommend that you take a blood thinner before traveling long distances. There are other ways to prevent DVT, such as avoiding smoking if you are a woman on birth control pills.

 

 

DVTs and Pulmonary Emboli are both treated with blood thinners to prevent other clots from forming in order to give your body time to get rid of the present clot. There are two types of blood thinners that are given as shots, Heparin and Lovenox. These shot blood thinners start to work right away. Coumadin is the only blood thinner that you can take by mouth. It takes Coumadin about 5 to 7 days to start to thin your blood. So either Heparin or Lovenox injections are given while waiting for Coumadin to start to work.

 

Blood thinners are usually given for 6 months. If you have cancer or an inherited disorder that causes blood clots, your doctor may keep you on blood thinners beyond a 6 month period.

 

If your DVT is severe or if you have a large pulmonary embolism, your doctors may use a medication to lyse your blod clots.  

 

If you cannot tolerate blood thinners, then your doctor may have a filter placed in one of the large veins that extend from your groin to your heart. Placement of a filter here may prevent a clot in your leg from entering your heart and lungs.

 

Some people can develop ongoing pain and swelling in their legs even after stopping treatment for DVTs. This condition is called Post Thrombotic Syndrome. The best way to prevent this is to continue to use compression stockings for several more months.

 

Click here for more information about DVTs and to see a video of how a DVT moves through the body.