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Blood Clots

Alternative Names: 

Embolus

Thrombus

Definition: 

A blood clot occurs when blood cells and fibrin strands join together to form a cluster that prohibits blood flow. Blood clots are a natural response to vein or artery damage and help prohibit the body from losing dangerous amounts of blood after sustaining a cut or injury. However, in some cases blood clots form inappropriately in response to other factors and disrupt the proper flow of blood in the body. When this occurs, blood clots can cause potentially dangerous complications such as heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism, a condition in which a blood clot creates a blockage in the lung arteries.

Symptoms: 

Depending upon the particular area in which a blood clot originates, a patient may experience varying symptoms. Blood clots that form in the arms and legs may produce the following side effects:

Blood clots may also form in or travel to the heart, lungs and brain. Patients should seek immediate medical attention if they experience any of the following side effects, as they may be indications of severe complications resulting from a blood clot in these areas:

Exams/Testing: 

Your doctor can check for blood clots using a variety of methods including:

  • Blood tests
  • Computerized tomography (CT) scan
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Pulmonary angiogram
  • Ultrasound
  • Venography
  • Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan
  • X-ray
Outlook/Prognosis: 

Most blood clots dissolve naturally over time. However, those that disrupt the natural circulatory processes of the body are potentially life-threatening. Heart attack and stroke resulting from blood clots are currently the leading causes of death and physical impairment in the U.S., and approximately one third of all patients with an untreated pulmonary embolism will not survive.

Because blood clots can lead to the unanticipated onset of such sudden and severe complications as heart attack and stroke, most treatment options are preventative measures. Patients who are at a particularly high risk of developing blood clots due to atrial fibrillation and artificial heart valves may reduce this risk through the use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications such as Climara and Plavix, which inhibit the blood’s natural clotting ability.

In certain emergency situations in which a blood clot has led to a heart attack or stroke, medications known as thrombolytics may be used to break apart the clot. The administration of thrombolytics has proven to reduce the damage caused by such complications in some cases.

Patients may help reduce their risk of blood clots by avoiding significant periods of inactivity. It is recommended that patients travelling for long periods of time stand up and walk at brief intervals throughout their trip in order to avoid the possibility of developing blood clots in the legs.

Causes (specific drugs): 
Climara
Depakote ER
Divigel
Elestrin
Enjuvia
Estradiol
Gardasil
Methocarbamol
NuvaRing
Ocella
Ortho Evra
Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo
Plan B One-Step
Premarin
Prempro
Procrit
Raptiva
Yasmin
Yaz