Chapter 2: Risk Factors for Venous Thrombosis

Content:

• Introduction
• How common are Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE)?
• What causes DVT and PE (venous thromboembolism -VTE)?
• What are the risk factors for VTE?
• Age, Gender and Race 
• Surgery
• Trauma
• Medical Illness
• Immobilization or Travel
• Primary Blood Clotting Disorders
• Oral Contraceptives and Hormonal Therapy
• Pregnancy
• How does clot affect the vein?
• Does the vein return to normal after the clot resolves?
• Conclusion

Summary:
This chapter will discuss the common risk factors for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT: blood clots forming in the deep veins often of the leg, pelvic or abdomen but can also occur in the arm veins), the changes that occur in a vein after a clot has formed, and what happens to the clot over time. Among patients with DVT, one third of them are diagnosed due to a pulmonary embolus (PE), a blood clot traveling in the blood vessels to the lung, causing shortness of breath and chest pain.  The long-term effects of DVT, called post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), can be associated with skin discoloration, ulceration and other skin changes in the legs.