USC Health Thought Deep Vein Thrombosis

Main Category: Vascular
Article Date: 21 May 2005 - 7:00 PST

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Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the summer travel season, and many will take to the skies to reach their travel destinations. Los Angeles International Airport alone last year served more than 700,000 passengers on Memorial Day weekend and more than 17 million travelers throughout the summer.

For those on transcontinental or international flights this summer, care should be taken to keep blood circulating in the legs, in order to avoid a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Vincent L. Rowe, M.D., a vascular surgeon and assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, says DVT occurs when one of the veins deep within the leg experiences a cessation of the blood flow and a clot develops. Because the blood flow is blocked by the clot, pressure develops against it and the clot can break loose. If this happens, the clot can travel to the lungs and create a pulmonary embolism, or sudden blockage in a lung artery, which can lead to difficulty breathing or even death.

"Veins that are more superficial or near to the skin are smaller, however the veins deeper in the leg are larger and closer to the bone," says Rowe. "So, there is more concern with blockages in the deeper, larger veins."

Rowe says a combination of key factors can lead to DVT:

-- Situations where the formation of blood clots is possible, such as in people with cancer or a traumatic injury, or those who are dehydrated.

-- People with an injury of the vein.

-- Circumstances where people are immobile for a long period of time and are not using their muscles to help stimulate blood flow.

Other conditions that can put people at risk for DVT include people who have previously had a blood clot or DVT, women taking birth control pills or who are pregnant, those with severe varicose veins, and people who are obese or elderly.

To prevent the formation of blood clots, Rowe advises doing leg exercises while seated to keep blood circulating in the legs and keeping hydrated. For those especially concerned about DVT, he recommends wearing support stockings, which helps push the blood through the legs better.

"The leg will become swollen and painful with deep vein thrombosis," says Rowe. "People with these symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible - unfortunately there is not much that can be done on the plane if it occurs. The treatment of DVT usually involves taking blood thinners for about three to six months to diminish the risk of additional clots."

Jon Weiner
USC Health Sciences
Media Relations
(323) 442-2830

Experts directory:
http://www.usc.edu//uscnews/experts

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