Thrombosis
Thrombosis is where the consistency of the blood changes from a liquid to a solid and forms a clot. This can have very serious consequences if for example the clot or thrombus obstructed the blood flow in an artery and the tissue it supplied would then become ischaemic.
Thrombosis can also occur in veins e.g. Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT , and it may be associated with inflammation, or stasis. Thrombosis can occur anywhere in the circulatory system but it is more common in areas where there is a change in blood flow as in postoperative conditions, postpartum, heart failure and trauma.
Prolonged bed rest, or prolonged immobilization with the legs dependent whilst traveling can in a normal healthy person trigger off the production of a thrombus. The contraceptive pill can increase the risks of thrombus formation.
Pain in the calf and loss of ankle pulse, are two of the signs. Sometimes there is pain on standing or walking which is only relieved by sitting with the legs elevated, although this symptom can also be attributed to muscular disorders or other peripheral vascular disease, so on its own is unreliable.
Treatment usually involves administering an anti-clotting agent such as Heparin initially then going on to low doses of Warfarin for a period to prevent the formation of further thrombus.
Additional Medical Conditions:
