John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) refers to a blood clot embedded in one of the major deep veins of the lower legs, thighs, or pelvis. A clot blocks blood circulation through these veins, which carries blood from the lower body back to the heart. The blockage can cause pain, swelling, or warmth in the affected leg.
Blood clots in the veins can cause inflammation (irritation) called thrombophlebitis. Severe complications of
deep vein thrombosis occur when a clot breaks loose (or embolizes) and travels through the bloodstream, causing blockage of blood vessels (pulmonary arteries) in the lung. Called pulmonary embolism, this can lead to severe difficulty in breathing and even death, depending on the degree of blockage.
In the United States, about 2 million people per year develop deep vein
thrombosis. Most of them are aged 40 years or older. Up to 600,000 are hospitalized each year for the condition.
Deep vein thrombosis can lead to a more serious complication, blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism). Statistics reveal that at least 650,000
persons die each year from pulmonary embolism, making it the third most common cause of death in the United States.
Deep Vein Thrombosis Causes
Three factors may lead to formation of a clot inside a blood vessel.
Damage to the inside of a blood vessel due to trauma or other conditions
Changes in normal blood flow, including unusual turbulence, or partial or complete blockage of blood flow
Hypercoagulability, a rare state in which the blood is more likely than usual to clot
Any component that contributes to one or more of these three criteria can cause
deep vein thrombosis. The more common risk factors are as follows:
Prolonged sitting, such as during a long plane or car ride
Prolonged bed rest or immobility, such as after injury or during illness (such
as stroke)
Recent surgery, particularly orthopedic, gynecologic, or heart surgery
Recent trauma to the lower body, such as fractures of the bones of the hip,
thigh, or
lower leg
Rare inherited genetic changes in certain blood clotting factors
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a medical condition in which blood clotting occurs inappropriately, usually caused by overwhelming infection or organ failure
Certain heart or respiratory conditions
Advanced age
If an individual has one deep vein thrombosis, they are more likely to have a second
deep vein thrombosis.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot (thrombus) in a deep vein, usually in the legs.
Clots can form in superficial veins and in deep veins. Blood clots with inflammation in superficial veins (called superficial thrombophlebitis or phlebitis) rarely cause serious problems. But clots in deep veins (deep vein thrombosis) require immediate medical care. See pictures of a developing blood clot and the leg veins.
These clots are dangerous because they can break loose, travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, and block blood flow in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). A pulmonary embolism is often life-threatening. DVT can also lead to long-lasting problems. DVT may damage the vein and cause the leg to ache, swell, and change color. It can also lead to leg sores after years of having a DVT.
Blood clots most often develop in the calf and thigh veins, and less often in the arm veins or pelvic vei...
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) most commonly involves the deep veins of the leg or arm, often resulting in potentially life-threatening emboli to the lungs or debilitating venous alular dysfunction and chronic leg swelling.
