Aetiology of VTE Flashcards
What is a VTE?
A blood clot that forms in the deep veins of the legs or pulmonary venous vasculature
How many people does it affect?
Around 1 in 1000 but this can be increased to 1 in 100 in hospitalised patients
What effect do they have?
- 25% of patients will develop a chronic condition known as Post-thrombotic syndrome
- 10% develop venous ulceration
- 10% of P.Es are fatal
What is Virchow’s Triad?
It is 3 factors that contribute to blood clot formation that constitute all of the risk factors for VTE.
- Disturbed blood flow
- Hypercoaguability
- Endothelial Injury
What causes hypercoaguability?
- Major surgery/trauma
- Malignancy
- Pregnancy
- Thrombophilia
- IBD and autoimmune disorders
- COCP
- Dehydration
- Hypertension
What causes endothelial injury?
- Thrombophlebitis
- Cellulitis
- Atherosclerosis
- Physical trauma e.g post CABG
- Microtrauma e.g hypertension
What causes disturbed blood flow?
- Immobility
- Venous obstruction e.g tumour, pregnancy, obesity
- Atrial Fibrillation or Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction
- Congenital venous valve deformation
- Bradycardia
What are the symptoms of DVT?
Leg pain, swelling, tenderness, redness
What are the signs of DVT?
Palpable cord, warmth, superficial venous dilation
What are some differential diagnoses for DVT?
Infective cellulitis, ruptured bakers cyst, muscle tear
What are the symptoms of DVT?
Dyspnoea, cough, haemoptysis, pleuritic chest pain, syncope, 1/3 have symptoms of DVT
What are the signs of DVT?
Tachypnoea, tachycardia, crepitations
What are some differentials for P.E?
Pneumonia, Musculoskeletal, heart failure
