Also called: DVT
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Summary
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. If the vein swells, the condition is called thrombophlebitis. A deep vein thrombosis can break loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism.
Sitting still for a long time can make you more likely to get a DVT. Some medicines and disorders that increase your risk for blood clots can also lead to DVTs. Common symptoms are :
- Warmth and tenderness over the vein
- Pain or swelling in the part of the body affected
- Skin redness
Treatment includes medicines to ease pain and inflammation, break up clots and keep new clots from forming. Keeping the affected area raised and applying moist heat can also help. If you are taking a long car or plane trip, take a break, walk or stretch your legs and drink plenty of liquids.
Start Here
- About Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Deep Vein Thrombosis
(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)Also in Spanish - What Is Venous Thromboembolism?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- D-Dimer Test (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
- Doppler Ultrasound (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
- Venography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)Also in Spanish
- Venous Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- How to Spot and Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
- Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
Treatments and Therapies
- Blood Thinners: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
- Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)Also in Spanish
- Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement and Removal (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America)Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency (Vascular Cures)
- Postthrombotic Syndrome (American Heart Association)
- Travelers’ Health: Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Understanding Your Risk for Blood Clots with Travel (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Venous Thromboembolism and Marathon Athletes (American Heart Association) – PDF
Specifics
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (Vascular Cures)
- Focus on Blood Clots (Vascular Cures) – PDF
Images
- Venous thrombosis – series (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
Videos and Tutorials
- Preventing Blood Clots After Orthopaedic Surgery (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Statistics and Research
- Data and Statistics on Venous Thromboembolism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Phlebitis (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Thrombophlebitis (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Venous Thrombosis (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Dose-dependent effects of heparin sodium injection in preventing peripherally inserted central…
- Article: The Effect of Thrombolysis of Deep Vein Thrombosis on Late Symptoms…
- Article: Comparing the efficacy and safety of thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin versus normal…
- Deep Vein Thrombosis — see more articles
Reference Desk
- Glossary (Vascular Diseases) (Vascular Cures)
- Vasculature of the Leg (Texas Heart Institute)Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- American Heart Association
- Doctor Finder (Database of Interventional Radiologists) (Society of Interventional Radiology)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Women
- Blood Clotting and Pregnancy (American Society of Hematology)
Patient Handouts
- Compression stockings (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- D-dimer test (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Deep vein thrombosis – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Deep venous thrombosis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
Topic Image
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Antithrombin III blood test
- Compression stockings
- D-dimer test
- Deep vein thrombosis – discharge
- Deep venous thrombosis
- Limb plethysmography
- Mesenteric venous thrombosis
- Phlegmasia cerulea dolens
- Venogram – leg
- Venous insufficiency
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Related Health Topics
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on Deep Vein Thrombosis is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Other Languages
Find health information in languages other than English on Deep Vein Thrombosis
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine
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