What Everyone Should Know About DVT

Deep vein thrombosis - DVT - is a serious medical condition that affects about 2 million Americans each year. It is a blood clot that usually starts in a leg, has few symptoms and kills more people than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Here are a few things that you should know about DVT:

• Many people are at risk for DVT and don't realize it. Women who use oral contraceptives, women who are pregnant, people involved in a recent trauma (such as a car wreck), people undergoing surgery or even those who are stuck in one place for a long time (such as a long airplane flight) are at risk for developing blood clots.
• DVT may cause pulmonary embolism. A clot can break off and travel to the lungs where it becomes a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary emboli cause shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid breathing and even a bloody cough. Pulmonary embolisms can be fatal if untreated.
• DVT is the leading cause of preventable death in American hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is Moses Cone Health System policy that everyone who checks into one of our acute care hospitals be treated as though they are at risk for DVT. That means they are given medications or placed on mechanical devices (such as those that squeeze legs to prevent blood from pooling) to reduce their chances of developing blood clots. This treatment is based on the latest guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians.
• You can't always tell if it's DVT by the symptoms. Symptoms only appear in about half of DVT cases. They include: pain, swelling, tenderness, redness of an area and skin that is warm to the touch. Since these symptoms may have other causes, a doctor may use an ultrasound, inject dye into a vein, take X-rays or use an MRI to tell if it's DVT.
• You can reduce your risk of developing DVT. Maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. If you plan to go on a long, confined trip, move around every two to three hours, drink plenty of water, limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink and don't sit for long periods of time with your legs crossed. If you plan to have surgery, talk with your doctor.

If you have DVT risk factors, your doctor is a good source of information. You can find an online risk assessment tool and guides on hospital stays, lifestyle changes, travel and more at: www.preventDVT.org.