Blood Clots

Blood clots are 

  1. semi-solid masses of blood that can be stationary (thrombosis).  

  2. block blood flow or break loose (embolism) .

 Blood clots can be life-threatening depending on their location and severity.

You may undergo a venous ultrasound or a CT angiography (CTA) scan o. Treatment may depend upon whether the clot is located in an artery or a vein. Your doctor may prescribe medication, catheter-directed thrombolysis, surgery or inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement to treat your condition.

What are blood clots?

Blood clots are semi-solid masses of blood. Normally, blood flows freely through veins and arteries. Some blood clotting, or coagulation, is necessary and normal. Blood clotting helps stop bleeding if you are cut or injured. However, when too much clotting occurs, it can cause serious complications.

There are two different types of clots:

• Arterial clots are those that form in the arteries. Once arterial clots form, they cause symptoms immediately. Because this type of clot prevents oxygen from reaching vital organs, it can cause a variety of complications like stroke, heart attack, paralysis and intense pain.
• 
  
  
• Venous clots are those that form in the veins. Venous clots typically form slowly over a period of time. Symptoms of venous clots gradually become more noticeable. 
• 
  
  
                                            
•  Blood clots can occur in many different parts of the body, each area having different symptoms:
• • Legs and arms: Symptoms of blood clots in the legs and arms vary and may include pain or cramping, swelling, tenderness, warmth to the touch and bluish- or red-colored skin. Clots that occur in larger veins are called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood clots can also occur in smaller, more superficial (closer to the skin) veins.
  • Heart: Common symptoms for blood clots in the heart include pain in the chest and left arm, sweating and difficulty breathing.
  • Lungs: The most common symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain and cough. Other symptoms that may or may not appear are sweating, discolored skin, swelling in the legs, irregular heartbeat and/or pulse and dizziness.
  • Brain: Patients with blood clots in their brains can experience problems with their vision or speech, seizures and general weakness.
  • Abdomen: Symptoms of abdominal blood clots can include severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and/or bloody stools.      

    How are blood clots diagnosed and evaluated?

  • • Venous ultrasound: For  a venous blood clot. S. A Doppler ultrasound may be used to help visualize blood flow through your veins. 
    • CT Angiography :embolism is a fragment from a leg or pelvic clot that has broken off and traveled through the veins to the lung. 
    •  MR Angiography may be used.

    • How are blood clots treated?

      Arterial clots:

      Your doctor may recommend that you undergo catheter-directed thrombolysis, a procedure that delivers "clot busting" drugs to the site of the clot, or have surgery to remove the clot. These treatments are meant to manage clots aggressively since arterial clots can block blood flow to vital organs. They are typically only used in life-threatening or emergency cases.
      
      
      
      

      Venous clots:

      If you are diagnosed with a deep venous clot, you will be put on blood thinning medication to help thin your blood and allow it to pass more easily past the site of the clot.
      Your doctor may ask you to undergo a procedure called inferior vena cava filter placement. This is recommended for patients who are at high risk for blood clots. A filter is placed into your vein to help prevent blood clot fragments from traveling through the veins to the heart or lungs.