![]() These are given by injection under the skin and reduce the risk of DVT and PE by between 50% and 70%. The most commonly used medicines are made from a naturally occurring blood thinner called heparin or are synthesised to work like heparin. The most effective way to reduce DVT and PE during hospital admission is by using special medications to thin the blood. If you are sent home with compression socks, you can take them off at night and wash them regularly. It’s important that they are fitted correctly with no creases. For example, it depends on the shape of your leg and you must have intact skin and good arterial circulation to be able to wear them. Not everyone is suitable for compression socks. They can be either above or below the knee. They are tighter at the ankle than the calf to encourage blood flow through the veins. This helps to decide on what extra treatments might be required.įor example, after surgery you might be fitted with graduated elastic compression socks. The hospital can also do things to reduce your risk.Īll patients admitted to hospital should be assessed for their risks of getting DVT and PE. When resting, keep your legs elevated, rather than bent. ![]() This helps with the movement of blood through the veins. It is important to remain as mobile as possible. Other things which increase the risk of DVT and PE include dehydration, medical conditions like heart failure, infections and inflammation.Īs we get older the risk of blood clots steadily increases.īeing overweight is also a risk – for example if your body mass index or “BMI” is over 30. When genetic or acquired changes in the blood occur which increase the risk of blood clots, we call this ‘thrombophilia’. Sometimes, more than one person in a family can get blood clots because of genetic risk factors. People with a previous DVT or PE are at especially high risk of having further clots when immobile or unwell. The blood can also clot more easily with some types of cancer and cancer treatments. The blood also clots more easily in pregnancy as part of the body’s natural preparation for delivery. Increased stickiness of the blood can be a side effect of oestrogen-containing contraceptives and the HRT pill. CausesĭVT and PE can be caused by reduced blood flow as a result of immobility and lack of movement in the legs, and also by damage or compression of the vein wall, for example during surgery. If a piece of clot breaks off, it can travel to the lung and cause a pulmonary embolism or PE. So what is a deep vein thrombosis and what causes it?Ī deep vein thrombosis or DVT is a blood clot forming in the deep veins of the body, usually the leg. When people stopped sitting in deck chairs, the problem was reduced. In 1940, the medical journal “The Lancet” reported that fatal blood clots in the lung called “pulmonary emboli” occurred in people who sat still or slept for prolonged periods of time in deck chairs. In the Second World War, during the Blitz, people took refuge in the London Underground and in air raid shelters. This information video is about the risks of blood clots after hospital admission, how to reduce the risks and how to recognise when a clot is forming.Įven before we knew about blood clots caused by plane travel and hospital admission, we knew that some things increased the risk of blood clots. Many of you will have heard about the risk of deep vein thrombosis after long haul flights because of scare stories in the media.īlood clots after flights are actually more rare than you might think, but what you may not realise is that blood clots after hospital admission are over 10 times more common than after long haul flights.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |