Blood Clot 13 .Indd
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MECHANICAL DEVICES PLEASE NOTE: GRADUATED COMPRESSION STOCKINGS (GCS) How long should I keep using the anticoagu- lant drug? These are tight stockings that squeeze your lower legs. They help keep the blood fl owing through the What should I do if I can’t give myself the shot? veins in your legs. Your legs will be measured to If you have any questions about the drugs used REDUCING fi t the stockings properly. Wear them all the time, to prevent a clot, please ask your doctor, nurse except when washing or showering until you re- or pharmacist. Your Risk of turn to your normal level of daily activity. Let your If you were given graduated compression doctor or nurse know if your skin changes color or BLOOD CLOTS stockings, they should be worn until you return if you develop blisters or pain from the stockings. to your usual level of activity. OR VTES And make sure the stockings don’t roll down to the space behind your kneecap. If you develop any symptoms of possible Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary Embolus at SEQUENTIAL COMPRESSION DEVICES (SCD) home in the days and weeks after hospitaliza- These are infl atable sleeves that are placed on tion, then seek medical advice immediately, your legs. They will squeeze your legs on and off either from your doctor or your nearest hospital during the day. Take them off before you get out of emergency department. bed because they can cause you to trip and fall. Reproduced with permission from Hotel-Dieu Be sure to ask for the sleeves to be put back on. Grace Hospital, Copyright 2011. VENA CAVAL FILTER If your risk of Venous Thromboembolism is high but you cannot take anticoagulant drugs and are not able to use the compression stockings or compres- sion device, you may be offered a temporary vena caval fi lter. This is an umbrella shaped device that is inserted into a large vein to trap any blood clots and stop them from moving toward the lungs. They are used rarely. WHY ARE BLOOD CLOTS SO DANGEROUS? Deep Vein Thrombosis that blocks the fl ow of blood in a vein can cause swelling and pain in the leg. Reducing Your Risk of Blood Clots or VTEs This can lead to leg tissue damage. Long term symptoms also can occur from this damage and are What is a VTE? called post-thrombotic syndrome. Blood clots that travel to the lung can cut off the blood lood clots that develop in the veins of the body are known as Venous Thromboembolism or VTE. Sometimes supply to an artery in the heart or the lungs. This is these clots develop while a person is hospitalized or on bed rest for a long time. dangerous and can occasionally cause death. HOW CAN I REDUCE MY RISK OF BBlood clots occur when the blood, which is in liquid form, thickens to a solid inside the vein. This is called VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM? a Thrombus. When this happens, the normal blood fl ow in the vein slows or stops. A blood clot in a leg vein is called a Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT. Move around as much as you can as soon as you can Do leg exercises in bed SYMPTOMS OF A POSSIBLE AM I AT RISK FOR VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM? Drink plenty of fl uids EEP EIN HROMBOSIS INCLUDE D V T : Sometimes blood clots develop in otherwise healthy Quit smoking cigarettes people. However, the risk of developing a Deep Pain and/or tenderness in one leg Vein Thrombosis or a Pulmonary Embolus can be Wear compression stockings (if prescribed) Swelling of the leg increased if you are in the hospital. Take your blood clot prevention medication as Warmth and redness of the skin of the leg Things that increase your chances of having a ordered by your doctor If part of the clot in the leg breaks free, it can blood clot while in the hospital include: REDUCING YOUR RISK OF VENOUS travel to the lung. This is called a Pulmonary Em- Not being able to move around THROMBOEMBOLISM WHILE YOU’RE IN THE HOSPITAL bolus or PE (pulmonary=lung, embolism=travel- ling clot). Being bedridden or confi ned to bed for several In hospitals, there are two ways to reduce your risk days of getting blood clots: anticoagulants and mechan- SYMPTOMS OF POSSIBLE PULMONARY ical devices. Recent surgery; medical illness EMBOLUS INCLUDE: Heart or lung disease; stroke ANTICOAGULANTS Feeling out of breath Major trauma In medical terms, clotting is referred to as coagula- Chest pain tion. The drugs used to prevent a clot are called an- Infection or cancer Sudden collapse ticoagulants. Using anticoagulants is the most effec- Previous Deep Vein Thrombosis or Pulmonary tive way of preventing Venous Thromboembolism. Coughing up blood Embolus You know these drugs as blood thinners. But they Other factors that can increase your risk of develop- do not actually thin the blood; they slow the body’s ing a blood clot include: ability to form a clot. Anticoagulants can cause you Being overweight to bruise and bleed more easily. Hormone therapy Anticoagulants usually are given through an injec- tion into the fatty part of your abdomen one to two Cigarette smoking times a day. Generally, they are used until you are Being over the age of 40 discharged from the hospital. You may be asked to continue the anticoagulant injections at home. Dehydration.