Deep Venous Thrombosis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot (thrombus) in a deep vein (venous) leading to the heart, normally in the legs.
The blood clot may either block the vein completely or partially.
Deep venous thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep inside a part of the body.
DVT normally happens in a deep leg vein, a larger vein that extends through the muscles of the calf and the thigh.
It can cause pain and swelling in the leg and may result in complications such as pulmonary embolism.
This is when a piece of blood clot breaks off into the bloodstream and obstructs one of the blood vessels in the lungs.
DVT and pulmonary embolism together are known as venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Clots can form in superficial veins (called superficial thrombophlebitis or phlebitis) and in deep veins because of poor blood flow or stasis.
Blood clots in deep veins (Deep Venous Thrombosis) need immediate medical care.
These blood clots are dangerous because they can break loose and then travel through the bloodstream to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism
Deaths resulting from complications of DVT are not something new.
Blood clots most often form in the calf and thigh veins, and less often in the arm or pelvic veins.
DVT does not cause heart attack or stroke.
3 major factors have a part in the development of DVT:
1. Venous stasis
2. Damage of the vein
3. Higher coagulability
In some cases of DVT there may be no symptoms.
DVT can cause:
a. Pain, swelling and tenderness in one of the legs
b. Warm skin in the area of the clot
c. Heavy ache in the leg
d. Redness of the skin particularly at the back of the leg below the knee
DVT normally affects one leg
Diagnosis:
a. The above symptoms alone and a physical exam.
The exam may show a red, swollen, or tender leg.
b. D-dimer test
A specialized blood test called the D-dimer test is used to detect pieces of blood clot that have been broken down and are loose in the bloodstream.
Treatment of DVT
a. Prevent pulmonary embolism (PE),
b. Reduce morbidity,
c. Prevent or minimize the risk of developing the post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS).
An anticoagulant will keep more clots from forming or old ones from getting bigger.
These drugs do not dissolve clots already there.
That is accomplished by the body’s natural blood system.
Other anticoagulation drugs have subsequently been added to the treatment over the years such as vitamin K antagonists and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH).
IV Heparin is normally prescribed first because it works immediately to prevent further clotting.
After this treatment the patient may also need to take oral warfarin to prevent another blood clot forming.
Heparin is available in two different forms:
1. Standard (unfractioned) heparin
2. Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH)
LMWH is normally given as a subcutaneous injection
LMWH works differently from standard heparin.
It contains small molecules which mean its effects are more reliable and the patient will not have to stay in hospital and be monitored.
Both standard and LMWH can cause side effects including:
a. A skin rash and other allergic reactions
b. Bleeding
c. Weakening of the bones
The instant symptoms of DVT often recover with anticoagulation alone.
The reason for intervention is often reduction of the 75% long-term risk of PTS.
Lifetime anticoagulation therapy may be advised:
1. If DVT recurs,
2. If a chronic hyper-coagulability is identified
3. If PE is life threatening
Surgery
In rare cases surgery may be needed if medicines do not work.
Surgery may involve:
1. Placing a vena cava filter
2. Removing a large blood clot from the vein
Compression stockings and ambulation help prevent calf pain and swelling
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Deep Venous Thrombosis
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Varicose Veins
Chapter 8 Pulmonary Embolism
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940154544334
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	09/08/2017
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	160 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 65. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical conditions seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com. This autobiolographical account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 550 amazon kindle books and some into Smashwords.com eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical conditions. The first chapter of all my ebooks is always taken from my blog A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions which was started in 2007 as a simple educational help to my patients on my first blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. The medical condition was described simply and direct to the point. Because the simple guide as taken from the blog was described as too simple, I have increased the other chapters to include more detailed description of the illness, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As a result there are the complaints by some readers of constant repetitions of the same contents but in detail and fairly up to date. He has published 550 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health conditions and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Bouna Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. All the PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"