Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein inside the body. DVT can occur when the blood thickens, because the thickening of the blood can cause a clot to form. DVT will generally occur within the lower leg or thigh, as well as other parts of the body. A clot that occurs in a deep vein can possibly break off from the original vein. When it breaks off it can travel throughout the body’s bloodstream. It is called an embolus when the clot breaks off. The clots that broke off throughout the thighs, are more likely to cause Pulmonary Embolism, rather than the other blood clots within the remainder of the body. Pulmonary Embolism is a serious condition which can be caused by blood clots. It can damage your organs, more likely to be the lungs, and cause death of an individual.
The prevalence of Deep Vein Thrombosis is actually idiopathic, meaning its unknown. In the United States, there are about 300,000 to 600,000 people affected every year. About one in every 100 individuals over 80 years of age to get DVT. About 60-100 thousand Americans die of DVT. Within one month of diagnosis about 10-30 percent dies. It can also cause a sudden death. Throughout the United States population, there are about 5-8 percent of people that are affected with DVT. An estimated amount of about half the people affected by DVT has long term complication. The long term complications may include swelling of some kind, discoloration, or cause the limb that affected to be scaly. There is no prevalence to where a certain race or gender is more affected by the disease.
The etiology of DVT is unknown. It could be because of various reasons. It could be physical, chemical, or biological reasons. DVT can be caused by serious surgeries or i...
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Many factors can increase the risk of these clots, including prolonged bed rest (such as after surgery), sitting for long periods (such as on a plane), use of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy, family history of DVT, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain genetic clotting disorders. Compression stockings are also sometimes used in people who have an acute DVT, to prevent a group of symptoms known as post-thrombotic syndrome that includes leg pain and
One of the characteristics of the common disorder, and perhaps the most worrisome for the patients affected, is decreased blood flow in the atria, which is associated with and allows thrombi to form. Embolism from the atria can cause cerebrovascular accidents, which can be devastating to the affected individuals and their families.
Ofri, D (2000). Diagnosis and Treatment of Deep-Vein Thrombosis. Western Journal of Medicine; 173: 194-197.
The average lifespan of an individual with DMD is of about 18 years old. Some of the most common causes of death are heart failure, respiratory failure or infection and airway obstruction.
Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is a generalized term referring to a spectrum of vascular disorders that alter the structure or function of any non-coronary artery. Atherosclerosis is the most common vascular disorder affecting the peripheral arteries (Ali & Carman, 2012). Atherosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries, is a general vascular disorder that can occur in any blood vessels throughout the body. It causes a reduction in blood flow and loss of function. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a blood vessel disease resulting from atherosclerosis.
After a thorough examination, J.P. was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). “DVT develops most often in the legs but can occur also in the upper arms…” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). Due t...
Peripheral artery disease is usually caused by atherosclerosis, which is when fatty deposits accumulate in the arteries of, most likely, limbs. This does affect all arteries throughout the body, then in turn, slowing the blood flow. PAD may also be due to inflammation of the blood vessels, injury to the extremities, or even exposure to radiation. “Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects approximately 10% of the American population” (Gurbir Dhaliwal; Peripheral arterial disease: Epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis and treatment; 2007). If not taken care of, PAD may lead to critical limb ischemia, open sores on the feet or legs that become infected by gangrene. The gangrene is then removed surgically, but doctors might have to amputate the extremity all together. Another issue that arises with PAD if it is not under control is the risk of stroke or heart attack. These can cause death to part of the heart or brain, or even death itself. The population more at risk would be smokers, diabetics, people who are obese, those with hypertension or hyperlipidemia, over the age of 50, have a family history of PAD, or those with a high level of homocysteine. If someone does fall into a few of these categories a physician can do a few tests to check for PAD. The doctor will more than likely start off with a physical exam, blood test, and possibly an ultrasound. From there the physician may try an ankle-brachial index, or ABI, which compares the blood pressure of the feet to the blood pressure of the arm. “An American survey of 2174 patients older than 40 years of age used the ankle-brachial index (ABI) as a screening tool, and showed a PAD prevalence of 0.9% between the ages of 40 and 49 years, 2.5% between the ages of 50 and 59 years, ...
Studies have shown that birth control can cause an increase of blood clots (also known as venous thromboembolism, or VTE), especially the newer forms of birth control (oral contraceptive) such as the the NuvaRing. British Medical Journal cited in the Vanity Fair article concluded that the risk of getting a blood clot is 6.5 times greater when using some sort of contraceptive. Without birth control about 2.1 women out of 10,000 will get a blood clot each year. When women use oral contraceptive the number rises to 6.2 out of 10,000. When using the NuvaRing the number jumps to 7.75 out of 10,000. Even though there is a risk for blood clots, the study did not consider pertinent external variables including smoking, obesity, and family history (Gueren, 2013).
Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of CAD. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease characterized by fat deposits in the arteries causing them to block the normal passage of blood. No one is quite sure how atherosclerosis develops. The plaque consists mostly of cholesterol, phospholipids and smooth muscle cells. They also reduce the size of the lumen of the affected artery which impairs the blood flow of this artery and later on could form a thrombus that will completely occlude the vessel. “Unfortunately, signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis usually don’t develop until at least 70% of an artery’s lumen has become obstructed. Angina is almost always the first symptom to appear.”(Journal: The killer behind CAD,2010). Modifiable factors that could prevent the occurrence of CAD include cigarette smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, atherogenic diet like diet high in cholesterol, use of contraceptive and hormone therapy replacement. “Women continue to ...
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According to MedlinePlus, the recovery for every CAD patient differs. There are some patients that can stay healthy just by following the simple methods of treatment that include making a change in what you eat, no longer smoking, and continuing to take the medication the doctors give you (2). However, there are some that need the angioplasty or surgery. But usually, getting diagnosed early with this disease can bring about a better outcome (2). A study of 252 patients was conducted by John O. Parker, M.D that shows that what the influence of angiographic and hemodynamic features do to the survival rate of CAD patients (7). None of these patients received revascularization surgery either. After 5 years of this study the survival rate for the
The second and more serious type of bleeding is venous bleeding, which transpires when a vein has been severed and blood flows steadily. Most veins collapse when cut, which aids in controlling this type of external bleeding until medical attention can be received.
Etiology Myocardial infarction occurs when the coronary arteries are blocked by a blood clot. It is commonly known as a “heart attack”. The heart needs its own constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to work properly. Two coronary arteries deliver oxygenated blood to the heart, and if one of these two arteries fails or becomes blocked, then a portion of the heart will not acquire the necessary oxygen. This clot could be because of CAD (coronary artery disease), which happens when the inner walls of the coronary arteries thicken because of buildup of cholesterol, fatty deposits, calcium among other elements that are carried in the blood (Boston Scientific, 2009).