US "Call to Action" against deep vein thrombosis

by Terri Potratz | September 15, 2008 at 01:14 pm

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The US surgeon general has released a rare call to action against DVT, or deep vein thrombosis (blood clotting). This condition is responsible for over 100,000 deaths a year in America alone, and affects hundreds of thousands more. DVT can become deadly if a portion of the clot breaks loose and travels through the body into the lungs, where it might block an artery.

"Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are often 'silent' conditions — they can occur suddenly and without symptoms," Galson said. "But we have made a lot of progress in understanding how these disorders develop and how to prevent, diagnose, and treat them. It's time to put this knowledge into action."
Researchers have found that in most cases, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism develops in people who have an inherited blood clotting disorder or other risk factor, and who experience a triggering event.

"Being hospitalized or confined to bed rest, having major surgery, suffering a trauma, or traveling for several hours can increase a person's risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism," Galson said. "We want to increase the awareness and knowledge of these potentially deadly conditions and encourage patients and health care providers to take the steps to prevent them."

The call to action was issued because symptoms of DVT are often misdiagnosed or ignored entirely, and most instances of death can be prevented with simple measures.