March is DVT Awareness Month

Tiffany Limtanakool
APHA. 2007; ©2007 American Public Health Association

Introduction

March is national Deep-Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month, a public health initiative aimed at raising awareness of this commonly occurring medical condition and its potentially fatal complication, pulmonary embolism. According to the American Heart Association, up to 2 million Americans are affected annually by DVT, more commonly known as blood clots. Yet, most Americans (74 percent) have little or no awareness of DVT, according to a national survey sponsored by the American Public Health Association.

Leading medical, public health and patient advocacy groups are sponsoring the observance and are working to increase awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of DVT. All health professionals can help by learning more about the condition and the options available for treatment and prevention.

About DVT

There are two types of veins: deep and superficial. Deep veins are large and surrounded by muscle in the center of a limb. DVT occurs when a thrombus (blood clot) forms in the deep vein, most often in the leg, resulting in partially or completely blocked circulation.

Symptoms of DVT can include swelling, pain, discoloration and abnormally hot skin at the affected area. Unfortunately, nearly half of DVT episodes have minimal, if any, symptoms. These “silent” afflictions are particularly worrisome. Adding to the complication, some conditions such as muscle strain, skin inflection, phlebitis – inflammation of veins – have similar symptoms, making DVT harder to diagnose. The most accurate ways to diagnose DVT are through venous ultrasound, venography and Impedance plethysmography – detection via electrodes and blood pressure cuff placed on the patient’s calf and thigh.

While DVT below the knee is unlikely to cause serious complications, clots above the knee can break off and travel up the bloodstream, resulting in a blocked blood vessel in the lung (pulmonary embolism). Other consequences are damaged blood vessels leading to blood pooling, swelling and pain in the leg, and in the most severe cases with large clots, death.

Certain individuals are more at risk for deep-vein thrombosis than others. Those with prior DVT, obesity, stroke, pregnancy, undergoing major surgery, over the age of 65 and those who are confined to long periods of immobility via travel or bed rest are more likely to be afflicted. According to the American Medical Association, approximately 2 million people suffer from DVT each year, more than the annual amount affected by heart attack or stroke.

What Can Be Done?

One of the best ways to combat DVT is through prevention. For example, fatal PE may be the most common preventable cause of hospital death in the United States; without prevention treatment, nearly 60 percent of patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery will get DVT. Practicing a healthy lifestyle is the easiest way to maintain good circulation and ward off DVT. Getting 30 minutes of daily exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding long periods of inactivity are recommended. Travelers should avoid alcohol and sleeping pills, keep hydrated, move their legs when possible and wear graded compression stockings if they feel that they could be at risk for DVT. Patients preparing for surgery should discuss preventive measures with their doctor.

DVT is not entirely preventable: thrombus clots may still form even after following all of the guidelines mentioned above. By following a healthy lifestyle and taking precautions, however, the chance of getting DVT is greatly reduced.

For more information about DVT Awareness Month, visit http://www.preventdvt.org. To read a white paper about DVT from the American Public Health Association, see http://www.apha.org/news/press/2003/DVT_whitepaper.pdf