Will you be admitted to the hospital or sent home? If a DVT is confirmed, you may be discharged and sent home with injectable or oral anticoagulant medication (sometimes called a blood thinner). That said, every patient is different, and you may be admitted to the hospital if the ER doctor believes it's necessary.
You can usually stay at home to have your DVT treatment. But you may need to be admitted to hospital if you have any complications or certain problems that put you at higher risk.
During the treatment, your provider will use imaging like CT or MRI scans to make sure the clot is dissolving correctly. You'll usually need to stay in the hospital for at least 1 day after the procedure.
Sometimes a catheter-based procedure to break up or remove the clot is necessary. Other times, clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) can be used. For venous clots, your Dignity Health doctor may prescribe blood thinners (anticoagulants) to help blood flow past the clot and prevent the clot from growing.
“Most patients with DVT or PE recover within a few days or weeks without significant complications or lasting effects,” Dr. Moll says. The risk of a clot breaking off and forming a PE is present mostly during the first few days while the clot is fresh and fragile.
For years, if you had a DVT, your doctor would order bed rest. This was thought to lower the risk of a clot traveling through your bloodstream to your lungs. But recent research suggests that bed rest doesn't help people with DVT and that it may be fine for you to get up and move around.
It is important to start treatment right away for DVT. It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away. During this time, there are things you can do to relieve symptoms. Elevate your leg to reduce swelling.
Sick Leave and Disability
In most DVT cases, blood thinners are enough to stop new clots from forming or traveling while your body gets rids of the existing clot. But severe clots may need more complex treatments or even surgery. In this case, you might need more time off from work.
Blood clots can cause a heart attack, stroke and death. If you are experiencing the symptoms of blood clots, you should go to the nearest ER immediately.
If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
Full blood thinning effect is achieved within 2–3 h. Therefore, there is no need for the initial injections with an additional blood thinner. After being stopped, warfarin takes 5–7 days to clear the body.
Blood clots can be removed with a procedure called thrombectomy. Thrombectomy is a technique that removes a blood clot from a blood vessel. Having a blood clot can be a serious condition, as it may block blood flow to critical tissues and organs in your body.
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:
You have symptoms of DVT (deep vein thrombosis), such as pain and swelling, and: breathlessness. chest pain.
throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm. sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.
Who is at risk for a blood clot? Blood clots can affect anyone at any age, but certain risk factors, such as surgery, hospitalization, pregnancy, cancer and some types of cancer treatments can increase risks. In addition, a family history of blood clots can increase a person's risk.
If you notice possible signs of DVT and can't reach your doctor, go to the emergency room right away.
DON'T stand or sit in one spot for a long time. DON'T wear clothing that restricts blood flow in your legs. DON'T smoke. DON'T participate in contact sports when taking blood thinners because you're at risk of bleeding from trauma.
Duplex ultrasonography is an imaging test that uses sound waves to look at the flow of blood in the veins. It can detect blockages or blood clots in the deep veins. It is the standard imaging test to diagnose DVT. A D-dimer blood test measures a substance in the blood that is released when a clot breaks up.
About 23% of people with PE will die within 3 months of diagnosis, just over 30% will die after 6 months, and there is a 37% mortality (death) rate at 1 year after being diagnosed.
Elevate your legs above the level of your heart.
Elevate your legs when you sit or lie down, as often as you can. This will help decrease swelling and pain. Prop your legs on pillows or blankets to keep them elevated comfortably.
Following a DVT, your leg may be swollen, tender, red, or hot to the touch. These symptoms should improve over time, and exercise often helps. Walking and exercise are safe to do, but be sure to listen to your body to avoid overexertion.
The Importance of Exercise if You Have DVT
Studies show that exercise also can improve symptoms of DVT, including swelling, discomfort, and redness. Physical activity can also make you feel more energized. If you have DVT, being active is especially important for your legs. That's where blood clots usually form.
Once DVT or VTE is treated, doctors recommend that patients be sure to stay active. “You want people to exercise, because the lack of exercise causes clots,” says Ellen Hillegass, a physical therapist with American Physical Therapy Association board certification in cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialty.