Deep Vein Thrombosis

Also called: DVT

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Summary

Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. If the vein swells, the condition is called thrombophlebitis. A deep vein thrombosis can break loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism.

Sitting still for a long time can make you more likely to get a DVT. Some medicines and disorders that increase your risk for blood clots can also lead to DVTs. Common symptoms are :

Warmth and tenderness over the vein
Pain or swelling in the part of the body affected
Skin redness

Treatment includes medicines to ease pain and inflammation, break up clots and keep new clots from forming. Keeping the affected area raised and applying moist heat can also help. If you are taking a long car or plane trip, take a break, walk or stretch your legs and drink plenty of liquids.

Start Here

Deep Vein Thrombosis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
What Is Venous Thromboembolism? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

D-Dimer Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Doppler Ultrasound (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Ultrasound - Venous (Extremities) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Venography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

How to Spot and Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

Treatments and Therapies

Blood Thinners: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Living With

Patient's Guide to Recovery after Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolism (American Heart Association)

Related Issues

Blood Clots and Travel: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (Vascular Cures)
Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (American Heart Association) - PDF
Postthrombotic Syndrome (American Heart Association)
Travelers' Health: Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Venous Thromboembolism and Marathon Athletes (American Heart Association) - PDF

Specifics

Deep Vein Thrombosis (Vascular Cures)
Focus on Blood Clots (Vascular Cures) - PDF

Images

Venous thrombosis - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

Preventing Blood Clots After Orthopaedic Surgery (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Statistics and Research

Data and Statistics on Venous Thromboembolism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Phlebitis (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Thrombophlebitis (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Venous Thrombosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Glossary (Vascular Cures)
Vasculature of the Leg (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

American Heart Association
Find an Interventional Radiologist (Society of Interventional Radiology)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Women

Blood Clotting and Pregnancy (American Society of Hematology)

Patient Handouts

Compression stockings (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
D-dimer test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Deep vein thrombosis - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Deep venous thrombosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish