Are You At Risk For Deep-Vein Thrombosis?

RWJ Hamilton Wants You to Prevent This Silent Killer

HAMILTON, NEW JERSEY - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) wants you to know that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious yet preventable condition. Up to two million Americans are affected annually by DVT. During DVT Awareness Month this March, it's important to realize some people are at increased risk for developing this condition - and it can occur in almost anyone.

Vijay Vaswani, MD, board certified general surgeon at RWJ Hamilton

"DVT is a blood clot (thrombus) that forms in a large vein deep in the body, usually in the lower leg or thigh," says Vijay Vaswani, MD, board certified general surgeon at RWJ Hamilton. "If left untreated, this clot can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs and block circulation, leading to pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention." PE can damage the lungs and other organs in the body and cause death.

Remaining Active Helps Prevent DVT
To help prevent DVT, stay active, see your doctor for regular checkups, follow your doctor's treatment plan, exercise the lower leg muscles during long trips and move around as soon as possible after surgery or illness. Your doctor will diagnose DVT based on your medical history, a physical exam and test results. The good news is that once diagnosed, DVT is treatable with medicines that thin the blood, interfere with the clotting process and dissolve clots. Additional treatments may include using filters to catch clots and wearing compression stockings that prevent blood from pooling and clotting.

Stay Tuned to Your Body's Signals
According to Dr. Vaswani, people may not realize that they have DVT until they exhibit signs or symptoms of PE: unexplained shortness of breath, pain upon deep breathing and coughing up blood. Rapid breathing and a fast heart rate may also be signs of PE.

Typically only about half of people with DVT have symptoms which occur in the leg affected by the clot. Symptoms may include swelling of the leg or along the vein; leg pain or tenderness (often felt only when standing or walking); increased warmth in the area of the leg that is swollen or painful; and red or discolored skin on the leg.

Blood clots can form in the body's deep veins for several reasons, including thick blood, sluggish or slow blood flow or damage to the deep vein's lining due to physical, chemical or biological factors.

Know Additional Risk Factors
Additional risk factors may include an incidence of cancer, heart or respiratory diseases, major surgery (such as hip or knee replacements), use of oral contraceptives or hormone therapy, being overweight or obese, pregnancy and the first six weeks after giving birth, and advanced age, although it can occur at any age. People who have had DVT before or have more than one risk factor are at increased risk for the condition. Talk to your doctor about this silent yet preventable condition.

More About RWJ Hamilton
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) is the only New Jersey hospital to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Located in Hamilton Township, NJ, the hospital is part of the RWJ Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-RWJ Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The RWJ Hamilton Health Care Corporation serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, three affiliated medical groups, seven Lakeview Child Centers, and the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, home of a medically-based fitness center and the hospital's extensive community education program. Over 1,900 hospital employees and 650 medical staff physicians share RWJ Hamilton's passion for Excellence Through Service. For more information, visit www.rwjhamilton.org.