Prevention

The key to prevention is to reverse any risk factors, as follows:

• If the patient is obese, lose weight.
  
  
• Avoid periods of prolonged immobility.
  
  
• Keep the legs elevated while sitting down or in bed.
  
  
• Avoid high-dose estrogen pills, unless they are deemed necessary by the patient's healthcare provider.

If the patient has had surgery recently, preventive treatment may be prescribed to avoid formation of a clot.

• The patient may be instructed to get out of bed several times a day during the recovery period.
  
  
• Sequential compression devices (SCDs) may be placed on the legs. Their squeezing action has been shown to reduce the probability of clot formation. The patient also may be given elastic stockings to wear.
  
  
• Low molecular weight heparin or low-dose warfarin may be prescribed to prevent clot formation.

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