Deep Vein Thrombosis

2015

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) comprises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT occurs at an incidence of 1/1,000 and risk factors include immobilization, hospitalization, surgery, thrombophilia and positive family history, cancer, pregnancy, and other hormonal effects. Commonly, clinical signs and symptoms for DVT are unreliable, especially in hospitalized patients, but the clinical assessment of the pretest probability, for example, with the Wells score, is an important component in the diagnostic algorithm, where compression ultrasound also plays a central role. Treatment of DVT aims to acutely prevent PE and short-term and long-term VTE recurrence and to avoid the lon…