Deep Vein Thrombosis
The Vice President of the United States was just diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to have symptoms, and even luckier to respond quickly. His condition was treated on an out-patient basis, and he was quickly discharged back to assume his normal activities. However, he also could have died. The American Heart Association reports that about 1 in every 1000 Americans suffer a DVT every year; therefore, to prevent complications and/ death; everyone should have basic knowledge of this grave disorder.
Arteries carry blood from the heart, and veins carry blood back to the heart. The force of the heart beat controls the flow of blood through the arteries; however, by the time the arteries meet the veins, this force is very weak. Muscular action and opening and closing of valves in the vein; help the blood return to the heart. Occasionally a clot may develop in the vein. This disorder is called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Most clots form in the lower leg or thigh. Blood clots which form in your thigh are more dangerous, as they are bigger, closer to your heart and lungs, and more likely to break off and travel.
If a clot in a vein breaks off and travels through your bloodstream it could lodge in your heart (heart attack), or lung (pulmonary embolism). The usual location is the lung. The combination of DVT, and pulmonary embolism is called Venous Thrombus Embolism (VTE or blood clot in the veins). Any of these conditions are very serious and can cause death. It is estimated that 10% of the people who have a pulmonary embolism die within 30 minutes of symptom.
Pulmonary embolisms made the news in 2003 when David Bloom, a 39 year old NBC reporter in Iraq, died as a complication. David was required to spend long hours reporting from the cramped quarters of a military vehicle. Some may even remember the death of a 20 year old woman in 2000. She was returning from the Olympics to Australia via a 20 hour airplane trip. DVT does not discriminate against any age group!
A blood clot also can occur in veins that are close to the surface of the skin. This type of blood clot is called superficial venous thrombosis or phlebitis. Superficial or on the surface thrombophlebitis occurs in the visible veins just under the skin. The area is usually reddened and warm to the touch. Tenderness, even pain, is a symptom of these superficial clots. The extremity may become swollen and occasionally fever may happen. Despite all these symptoms, blood clots in superficial veins are not as dangerous as DVT because they can’t travel to the lungs.
http://player.clipsyndicate.com
Military.com March 05, 2007
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Dvt/DVT_WhatIs.html
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. NIH. HHS
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/296/4/468
Journal of the American Medical Association
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/604_vein.html
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2004
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/106/12/1436.pdf
American Heart Association, 2002
http://www.venous-info.com/education/newpers/n02.html
American Venous Forum
http://familydoctor.org/800.xml
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/daily-aspirin-therapy/HB00073
Mayo Clinic, 2006
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