• Previous deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
• Slow blood circulation due to inactivity.
• Having undergone surgery, experienced a fracture, or any injury that involves a deep vein.
• Age
• Pregnancy
• Oncology Treatment
• Central venous catheter in situ
• Hereditary factors
• Heart, lung, Crohn’s disease
• Obesity

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
 

• Localized pain
• Oedema
• Feeling of warmth and heaviness
• Swelling or inflammation
• Sensitivity to touch
• Skin reddening

 
 
Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE)
 

• Shortness of breath, gasping for air, feeling of drowning
• Fast breathing
• Syncope
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Coughing up blood
• Increased heart rate

• Anticoagulants are the treatment of choice for venous thromboembolic disease. These drugs alter blood clotting to prevent thrombus formation and help to breakdown a clot if it has already formed.

 

• Treatment consists of subcutaneous heparin followed by oral anticoagulation in cases where treatment needs to be prolonged. Traditional drugs are now being replaced by new oral anticoagulants such as dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban, these offer the advantage of not requiring regular INR monitoring at a health centre or hospital. INR is the index that tells us how long it takes the blood to clot and is used to follow-up patients on treatment with Sintrom or warfarin.