Deep Vein Thrombosis

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images
• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Women
• Patient Handouts

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

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

• Deep Vein Thrombosis and Post-Thrombotic Syndrome: What You Need to Know about Compression Therapy for DVT and PTS (Vascular Cures) - PDF
• 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
• 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
• What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)? (Vascular Cures) - PDF

Specifics

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (Vascular Cures) - PDF
• Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) (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 of DVT/PE (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)

• Article: Which Frequency of Ankle Pump Exercise Should Be Chosen for the...
• Article: The effect of intermittent pneumatic compression on deep-vein thrombosis and ventilation-free...
• Article: Effect of Clinical Nursing Pathway Intervention Based on Evidence-Based Medicine on...
• Deep Vein Thrombosis -- see more articles

Reference Desk

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

Find an Expert

• American Heart Association
• 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