You can find the assess your DVT risk tool at the bottom of this post. Did you know it's DVT awareness month? DVT (deep venous thrombosis), or now more appropriately named VTE for venous thromboembolism is a condition that can kill you. How? Because blood clots form in the legs, break loose and travel north into the lungs. They're called pulmonary emboli, and they can kill you instantly. I see scores of people every year that are admitted with VTE. Some with barely a symptom. Some close to death. Some are dead on arrival
I just found out that one my mother's good friends died suddenly while visiting New Zealand this month. A healthy lady otherwise, after death she was found to have two blood clots in her lungs presumed secondary to her long trip in the airplane. The condition went unrecognized at the hospital, resulting in her demise. A sad sad story indeed.
The prevention of VTE is a national patient safety initiative. I am on Happy's hospital VTE prevention quality committee. After a bit over a year on the committee, and a very strong participation of VTE prevention by our hospitalist group AND a growing recognition by most (not quite all) of the physicians at Happy's hospital, I was told we have data indicating a rate of hospital acquired VTE lower than the last five years of available data.
Something all physicians should be very proud of. For the few docs who still believe their patients don't get VTE, I have to say only that I hope you are not that healthy, active patient one day who refuses their lovenox shot. I hope you are not that father who travels to New Zealand on a family vacation, only to return in a body bag. Your patients are at risk whether you want to believe they are or not, no matter how good your surgical skills are and no matter how much you yell at the nurses to ambulate your patient 4X a day. Your patient will still be at risk. Because they are in the hospital. You should never deny your patient the right to a VTE free experience.
For more information on this deadly disease you can search about David Bloom, a journalist who died in Iraq from a deadly pulmonary embolism, is memorialized by his wife, Melanie Bloom, who continues to fight the fight. I had the opportunity to meet Melanie several years ago.
DVTs scare me to death -- particularly now that I'm wheelchair- and bed- bound so often, and having so many surgeries. I try to remember to at least keep flexing my feet, as much as they will flex, that is. They try to put compression stockings on me in the hearsepital, but I cannot tolerate them due to CRPS pain. I had an embolectomy back in 2002 -- femoral vein -- great fun, no anesthesia as I had no blood pressure 'n stuff.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I've nothing intelligent to say... just that DVTs scare me to death! Excuse me while I go wriggle my toes.
That is very sad, poor lady, condolences to all involved.. To fly all of that way to see our beautiful country and to die like that.
ReplyDeleteDid she wear the compression stockings? I suppose that would be rude to ask, but it would be interesting to know if they were effective or not. Also should older people possibly be on some kind of low dose asprin flying, would that help?
I do know on lengthy trips from the U.K to N.Z they did give out anti embolism advice, I wonder if they still do that?